Williams locks in Luke Browning as 2026 F1 reserve, adds fresh faces to academy
Williams has moved early on its safety net for the 2026 reset, confirming Luke Browning as the team’s official reserve driver for the first year of the new regulations. The Brit will sit in the bullpen behind Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, ready to jump into the FW48 if needed, while splitting his season with a full campaign in Japan’s Super Formula with Kondo Racing.
It’s a tidy promotion for a driver who’s been quietly ticking all the boxes in Grove. Browning rose through the Williams Academy after joining in 2023, and his 2025 Formula 2 season with Hitech showed exactly why the team has kept him close: fourth in the standings, a feature race win at Monza, and nine podiums across the year. He also logged meaningful mileage in F1 machinery, taking on three FP1 outings in 2025 in the FW47 and turning laps in the FW45 under the testing of previous cars programme.
The remit for 2026 is simple: be ready. Reserves become headline news only when things go sideways — illness, injury, or the rare race ban — but when that moment comes, it’s a career hinge. Just ask Oliver Bearman, who stepped in at short notice for Haas at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix after Kevin Magnussen’s Super Licence tally triggered a ban.
For Browning, the call-up feels like the next logical rung on a ladder he’s been climbing at pace. “I’m incredibly excited to be stepping up as Reserve Driver with Williams this year,” he said. “The Academy has been instrumental in my growth… I look forward to working alongside Alex and Carlos to drive the team forward in this new era for Formula 1.” He also confirmed 2026 will be his rookie season in Super Formula — a smart choice for sharpening racecraft in high-downforce, high-grip cars that sit just below F1 performance. “It’s another chance to show how I’ve developed on track and continue to build my skills in a new environment and culture.”
Browning’s CV is already well stocked with markers of a driver who wins when it matters: Macau Grand Prix victor in 2023, British F4 champion in 2020, GB3 champion in 2022. Williams boss James Vowles likes the trend line. “It’s a proud moment to see Luke stepping into the Reserve Driver role from 2026,” he said. “He has made immense progress since he joined the Academy in 2023 and has supported the team’s journey back towards the front of the grid through simulator and FP1 work. His Super Formula campaign will allow him to gain more on-track experience and continue his growth.”
The announcement comes amid a flurry of 2026 housekeeping up and down the grid — McLaren has already confirmed its own reserve structure with Pato O’Ward and Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli in the mix — and underlines how seriously teams are treating year one of the new power unit and aero rules. Every lap in the sim, every Friday mileage run, every bit of correlation matters when the goalposts are moving.
Williams also used the moment to refresh its junior roster. With Browning stepping up, Frenchman Alessandro Giusti becomes the highest-placed driver on the team’s ladder, staying in FIA F3 for a second season with MP Motorsport. New names arrive in the form of Jade Jacquet in F1 Academy and Kean Nakamura-Berta in Formula Regional, while Lia Block, Sara Matsui and Victor Martins depart the programme.
“We’re pleased to confirm our Williams F1 Team Driver Academy line-up for this year and recognise the depth of talent progressing through the programme, from our youngest driver in Lucas to Luke’s role as reserve,” said sporting director Sven Smeets. “The Driver Academy remains a central part of how we support and guide young talent.”
Williams Driver Academy, 2026
– Luke Browning – F1 reserve and test driver
– Alessandro Giusti – FIA Formula 3 with MP Motorsport
– Jade Jacquet – F1 Academy with Williams/ART Grand Prix
– Kean Nakamura-Berta – Formula Regional Middle East and European
– Oleksandr Bondarev – Italian F4 with Prema Racing
– Dean Hoogendoorn – OK karting
– Will Green – OKJ karting
– Lucas Palacio – OKJ karting
On paper, it’s a sensible blend: one foot firmly in F1 with Browning, a competitive anchor in F3 with Giusti, and a pipeline that stretches from F1 Academy and Formula Regional down through karting. For Browning, the reward is clear. The next time Williams needs a stand-in, there’s a driver in the building who already knows the car, the tools, and how the team works — and who’s been winning his way toward the big seat for years.
