Williams has announced that Luke Browning will take part in FP1 in Bahrain, bringing the total of reserve drivers in action up to three.

Browning is currently racing in his first full season in the Formula 2 Championship with Hitech GP, where he has had a strong start to the year, stepping on the podium in the Sprint in Australia and leaving the opening round third in the standings.

This follows his impressive debut in the series in Baku last year, where he graduated from 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, he participated in the TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) programme in Monza last weekend, driving the FW45 alongside new Academy recruit Victor Martins.

Browning's participation in the FP1 session is part of the Williams Racing Driver Academy's tradition of giving young talent a path into F1 - most recently demonstrated by alumnus Franco Colapinto's graduation into an F1 race seat. The Academy supports drivers on every rung of the motorsport ladder, working with them on and off the track to develop the skills necessary to race at the top level.

"Being given another opportunity to drive in a Free Practice session with Williams is a dream come true," said Browning, "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 Academy for supporting my development so far."

"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," added Sven Smeets, Sporting Director. "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."