Luke Browning will replace Carlos Sainz at Williams for FP1 at the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Browning first participated in a FP1 session at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and will now get his second FP1 outing in Bahrain, as he replaces Sainz for the opening practice session on Friday 11 April alongside his F2 duties at the same circuit.
“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,” commented Browning on confirmation of his latest F1 opportunity but is aiming to get more acclimatised to the F1 race weekend environment.
“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.”
As part of his preparations, Browning conducted a private test at Monza, Italy, last weekend alongside fellow Academy member, Victor Martins who got his first taste of Williams’ machinery following his move to the team after he left Alpine at the end of 2024.
Williams’ Sporting Director, Sven Smeets added: “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.”
