Grove, United Kingdom, October 28, 2026: Atlassian Williams F1 Team has confirmed that reserve driver and Williams Driver Academy member Luke Browning will participate in the opening free practice sessions at the 2026 Mexican and Brazilian Grands Prix as part of Formula 1’s mandatory rookie running programme.

Browning will drive Alex Albon’s FW48 during FP1 at the Mexican Grand Prix before taking over Carlos Sainz’s car for the corresponding session at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The two outings will complete Williams’ four mandated rookie FP1 sessions for the 2026 Formula 1 season.

The sessions will also give Browning an opportunity to evaluate the FW48 following the introduction of the team’s lightweight chassis upgrade at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. His running will provide valuable experience of the updated package, while the data and feedback gathered will contribute to the team’s simulator development and ongoing performance analysis.

Luke Browning to Complete Williams’ Rookie FP1 Programme

Browning’s participation in all four of Williams’ mandatory rookie practice sessions underlines the team’s confidence in his development and his growing contribution to its Formula 1 programme.

The British driver has combined his reserve driver responsibilities with a campaign for Team Kondo Racing in Super Formula, Japan’s premier single-seater championship. The series is widely regarded as one of the most competitive open-wheel categories outside Formula 1.

In his role as reserve driver, Browning supports Williams through race weekend standby duties, simulator sessions and data analysis. His work behind the scenes is particularly important as the team continues to develop its car and adapt to Formula 1’s evolving technical regulations.

The additional track time in Mexico and Brazil will help strengthen the correlation between real-world car performance and simulator data, allowing Browning to provide more informed feedback to the engineering team at Williams’ Grove headquarters.

Commenting on the opportunity, Browning said: “I’m happy to be back in the FW48 and grateful to be trusted by Atlassian Williams F1 Team with all four of the team’s rookie FP1 sessions this year. It’s a great opportunity to get more laps in the car, while building my understanding of the new package and bringing useful data and feedback back to Grove.”

He added that each session offers valuable learning opportunities, which he intends to use to further his development and help the team improve its performance.

Williams Focuses on Driver Development

Williams Sporting Director Sven Smeets highlighted Browning’s contributions through simulator work and his on-track performances, describing the two additional outings as an important step in the young driver’s development.

Smeets also stressed the technical benefits of having the same driver complete all four rookie sessions, explaining that consistency helps the team improve the correlation between track data and simulator performance.

Williams continues to use its Driver Academy to identify and develop emerging talent across the motorsport ladder, providing drivers with opportunities to progress towards the highest level of competition.

For Browning, the Mexican and Brazilian Grand Prix appearances represent another opportunity to gain Formula 1 experience while contributing directly to Williams’ car development programme. The knowledge gained from both sessions will feed into his continuing simulator work and support the team’s efforts to extract further performance from the FW48.