Luke Browning named Williams F1 Reserve Driver for 2026

Luke Browning has been confirmed as the Williams F1 Team’s Reserve Driver for the 2026 Formula 1 season.

The Briton finished last year’s FIA Formula 2 campaign in fourth place, earning one race victory and a further eight podium finishes in his rookie season in the Championship.

As part of his new role with Williams, Browning will be present on race weekends as a stand-by driver and work in the team’s simulator to further support them.

Browning said he was eager to get started with the team ahead of the 2026 F1 season getting underway.

“I’m incredibly excited to be stepping up as Reserve Driver with Atlassian Williams F1 Team this year. The Academy has been instrumental in my growth, supporting me through both Formula 3 and Formula 2 while giving me the chance to get up to speed with modern F1 machinery through testing and FP1 sessions. I look forward to working alongside Alex and Carlos to drive the team forward in this new era for Formula 1.

“I’m also happy to confirm that 2026 will be my rookie season in Super Formula. This will be a completely new challenge, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in! As my next step up towards a full-time Formula 1 seat, this gives me another chance to show how I've developed on track and continue to build my skills in a new environment and culture.”

Williams Team Principal James Vowles added: “It’s a proud moment to see Luke stepping into the Reserve Driver role from 2026. He has made immense progress since he joined the Academy in 2023 and has supported the team’s journey back to the front of the grid through his involvement in simulator and FP1 work, which has been invaluable as we enter this new era of regulations. His Super Formula campaign will allow him to gain more on-track experience and continue his growth as a driver, and we look forward to seeing him back on track as he enters this next stage of his racing career.”