Williams has confirmed a new official reserve driver for the F1 2026 season, alongside announcing its driver academy line-up.

The Grove-based squad will have a new reserve driver on standby during 2026, ready to step up and stand in for Carlos Sainz or Alex Albon in the event either are unable to take part in a race.

Luke Browning confirmed as new Williams reserve

British driver Luke Browning will be Williams’ official reserve driver for the F1 2026 season, having raced in Formula 2 in ’25.

Browning finished in fourth place overall, having driven for Hitech, taking a feature race win at Monza in the process as he secured nine podiums in total.

He has been part of the Williams driver academy since 2023, and will be on standby to step into the cockpit in the event regular race drivers Carlos Sainz or Alex Albon are unable to take part in a race.

This can happen in the event of a driver injury or illness, or a race ban – Haas was forced to use a reserve driver, Oliver Bearman, at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as its usual driver, Kevin Magnussen, picked up a ban for having reached 12 points on his Super Licence.

Alongside his reserve role, Browning will race in Super Formula, Japan’s domestic single-seater championship, with cars of performance levels between those of F2 and F1. He will drive for Team Kondo Racing.

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His Williams role will see him on standby at race weekends, as well as helping with car development through sim work. He took part in three FP1 sessions in 2025, driving the FW47, as well as driving the FW45 in a testing of previous cars [TPC] programme.

“I’m incredibly excited to be stepping up as Reserve Driver with Williams this year,” Browning said.

“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.”

Browning is a winner of the Macau Grand Prix, which he achieved in 2023, prior to his Formula 2 promotion. He is also the 2020 F4 British Champion, and the 2022 GB3 Champion.

“It’s a proud moment to see Luke stepping into the Reserve Driver role from 2026,” Williams team boss James Vowles 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 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.”

Williams’ announcement comes a day after McLaren announced its reserve driver line-up, with F2 Champion Leonardo Fornaroli confirmed as a new addition alongside Pato O’Ward.

Williams confirms Driver Academy programme

With Browning stepping up, Alessandro Giusti is the next highest on the Grove-based team’s ladder of junior talent.

The French driver is set to race in Formula 3 for a second season this year, driving for MP Motorsport.

New additions include Jade Jacquet at the F1 Academy level, and Kean Nakamura-Berta in Formula Regional, while Lia Block, Sara Matsui, and Victor Martins have all left the Williams academy.

“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 Sven Smeets, Williams’ sporting director.

“The Driver Academy remains a central part of how we support and guide young talent and look forward to seeing how each driver performs this year.”

Williams’ driver academy programme for 2026:

Luke Browning – F1 reserve and test driver
Alessando Giusti – Formula 3 with MP Motorsport
Jade Jacquet – F1 Academy with Williams and 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

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