Luke Browning set for two FP1 outings with Williams at Barcelona and Austria

Written by Kavi Khandelwal

Williams Formula One reserve driver Luke Browning has been confirmed for Free Practice 1 appearances at the Spanish Grand Prix and Austrian Grand Prix later this month, marking his first taste of the team's new-generation FW48.

Credit: Williams F1

Browning, who is balancing his Williams duties with a rookie Super Formula campaign in Japan, will take over Alex Albon's car for first practice in Barcelona before stepping into Carlos Sainz' FW48 at the Red Bull Ring. The outings will represent the 23-year-old Briton's first experience of the 2026 regulations, having previously completed four Free Practice 1 sessions for the Grove-based outfit across 2024 and 2025.

The news comes on the same weekend as Williams endure a difficult Monaco Grand Prix, with the team having struggled for pace throughout the 2026 season so far.

Browning expressed his eagerness ahead of the upcoming sessions, saying: "I can't wait to get behind the wheel of the FW48 for the first time, and to have two opportunities to experience the car first-hand in the European season makes it even more special.

"I've been working hard to prepare so that I can make the most of these sessions and help the team plan and prepare for the race weekends ahead. I'm incredibly thankful to everyone at Atlassian Williams F1 Team for their continued trust and support, and I can't wait to get out on track."

Williams sporting director Sven Smeets highlighted the dual benefit of the outings, both for Browning's development and for the wider academy programme.

Smeets said: "Luke continues to prove himself as a valuable part of the team, both through his simulator work and his performances on track. Giving him his first opportunity to get behind the wheel of the FW48 across two race weekends is an important step in his development and a natural progression.

"We have a talented group of young drivers in the Williams F1 Team Driver Academy, and we're pleased to continue providing opportunities like this to support drivers' progression and development."

Each F1 team is required to run rookie drivers across four Free Practice 1 sessions per season. However, a minimal number of such outings have taken place so far in 2026. The disrupted start to the season — with the postponements of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix — denied several teams opportunities that would otherwise have been straightforward slots for rookie running.

Sprint race weekends in China, Miami and Canada similarly reduced available practice time, with teams opting to prioritise their race drivers in the single practice session available on those formats.

Racing Bulls (RB) remain the only team to have fulfilled two of their four required outings, with Arvid Lindblad having qualified for those appearances in Australia and China as the only full-season rookie on the grid. Aston Martin ran Jak Crawford in Fernando Alonso' car during Free Practice 1 at the Japanese Grand Prix, but no other teams have registered rookie outings to date.

With the European season now well underway, Williams' decision to schedule back-to-back appearances for Browning reflects both the regulatory obligation and a genuine desire to accelerate the development of one of their most promising academy prospects.