F1 News: Luke Browning to drive FP1 in Abu Dhabi GP weekend

Williams Racing Academy Driver Luke Browning will take part in the first Free Practice session at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and participate in the end-of-season Young Driver Test.

The FP1 session fulfills the team’s second and final mandated rookie driver session this year and will mark Luke’s debut drive in a Formula 1 weekend.

Luke has had a strong 2024 season in Formula 3, achieving two poles in Austria and Great Britain and two Feature Race wins in Bahrain and Austria. He fought a closely contested Formula 3 title until the final race in Monza, concluding with a third-place finish in the championship.

Continuing his rise through the motorsport ladder, Luke stepped up to Formula 2 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix where he scored points on debut with ART Grand Prix. He will continue with ART for the final two rounds of the F2 season.

Luke’s participation in the FP1 session and Young Driver Test is part of the Williams Racing Driver Academy’s proud tradition of giving young talent a path into F1 which has most recently seen Academy product Franco Colapinto graduate to an F1 race seat. The Driver 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.

Luke Browning: “It’s an honor to be driving a Williams F1 car for the first time in Abu Dhabi. To have the chance to not only take part in the Young Driver Test but also Free Practice is incredibly special. A huge thank you to everyone at Williams Racing for supporting my development as part of the Williams Racing Driver Academy and entrusting me with the FW46. I’ll be working hard to prepare and make the most of the opportunity.”

Sven Smeets, Sporting Director, Williams Racing: “Luke has had an impressive Formula 3 season and has taken the transition to Formula 2 in his stride, performing well from his first outing in Baku. Throughout this year, he has made important contributions to the team through his development work and has demonstrated rapid progress in his understanding, maturity, and race craft. We are now looking forward to giving Luke the opportunity to drive the FW46 in Abu Dhabi as the next step in his development as a Williams Racing Academy driver.”