Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Williams has confirmed that reserve driver Luke Browning will replace Carlos Sainz in first practice for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.
Browning will drive the FW48 on Friday at the Red Bull Ring as Williams continues its rookie-session programme, with the team posting on social media: “Looking forward to seeing Luke in the car this Friday in Austria.”
The outing gives Browning another chance after his previous planned FP1 appearance in Barcelona was effectively lost. He had been due to step into Alex Albon’s car in Spain, but an electrical problem prevented him from recording a lap.
That makes Austria a more meaningful opportunity for the 24-year-old British driver, who finished fourth in the 2025 Formula 2 standings and now serves as Williams’ reserve for the 2026 Formula 1 season. He is also racing in Super Formula in Japan, where he was eighth after the opening four rounds.
Williams’ decision forms part of Formula 1’s rookie-driver requirement, which obliges teams to run a driver with no more than two grand prix starts in four FP1 sessions across the season, with two in each car.
Speaking to PlanetF1.com and other select media earlier this month, Browning said he was treating the sessions less as a lap-time shootout than a chance to show he is prepared if a race opportunity comes. “There’s no pressure necessarily on lap times, but it’s just showing that I’m ready to get in a seat if I’m needed,” Browning said.
He added that he believes his recent preparation has left him ready for a proper Formula 1 run. “I feel ready now, I feel fit enough,” Browning said. “With the TPC testing that I’ve been doing, I feel ready to drive a Formula 1 car now. It’s just whether the opportunity comes around.”
For Williams, Austria now becomes Browning’s first real chance this season to complete a full FP1 programme and turn a lost Barcelona appearance into meaningful track time in one of the team’s two allocated rookie sessions for Sainz’s side of the garage.