Browning to drive for Williams in opening practice in Bahrain
Williams has announced that Luke Browning will take part in the opening practice session at this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix, fulfilling one of four mandated rookie driver sessions this year.
Browning is currently racing in his first full season in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with Hitech GP, where he has had a strong start to the year, stepping on the podium in the Sprint Race in Australia and leaving the opening round third in the standings.
This follows the Briton's impressive debut in the series in Baku last year, where he graduated from FIA Formula 3 for the final three rounds of the 2024 season, scoring points in two races. He also took part in Free Practice 1 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix shortly afterwards, experiencing an F1 car during a race weekend for the very first time.
As part of his preparations for FP1 in Bahrain, Luke participated in the TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) programme in Monza last weekend, driving the FW45 alongside new Academy recruit Victor Martins.
Commenting on his forthcoming outing, Browning noted: “Being given another opportunity to drive in a Free Practice session with Williams is a dream come true, and I'm getting more and more confidence each time I drive the car.
"My main aim for FP1 is to get more comfortable with the procedures and environment that come with Formula 1, and to build on my experience from Abu Dhabi last December.
"I’m excited to feel the progression from the FW46 to the FW47 and I feel incredibly grateful to James, Sven and the team at Grove for entrusting me with the car. A lot of preparation has gone into this weekend, so thank you to everyone in the Driver Academy for supporting my development so far.”
Reflecting on the team's decision to fill the vasated seat with Browning, Williams' sporting director Sven Smeets noted: “Luke has made strong progress since his first Formula 2 weekend last year and scored good points in the opening race of the season in Australia.
"His previous FP1 experience, participation in our TPC programme, and simulator work have prepared him well for this weekend and we look forward to seeing him take this next step forward in his development.”
