Confirmed: Williams add exciting young talent to their driver academy

Williams have added a new talent to their Driver Academy, with British racer Luke Browning signing with the team.

Following on from the signing of Franco Colapinto earlier this year, Williams have bolstered their Driver Academy by signing Formula 3 racer Luke Browning.

The 21-year-old British driver is currently racing in F3 with the Hitech Pulse-Eight squad, and has scored 14 points from the first two rounds in Bahrain in Australia – a fifth place in Bahrain his best result of 2023 so far.

Browning has been signed after winning the GB3 Championship in 2022, scoring five wins and a further eight podiums while racing with Hitech. He also won the 2022 Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award.

His signing means the Williams Driver Academy now consists of five members – four of whom are currently racing in Formula 3. As well as Browning and Colapinto, Zak O’Sullivan and Oliver Gray signed up with Williams last year.

The longest-established Williams Academy driver, signed under the previous management of Claire Williams prior to the Dorilton Capital takeover, is Jamie Chadwick. She is racing in Indy NXT in 2023, moving on from her three W Series titles in 2019, ’21, and ’22.

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Browning is set to work on the Williams simulator in Grove throughout 2023, taking part in a personalised programme, as well as embedding with the team trackside at select race weekends.

“I’m really looking forward to being a part of the Williams Racing Driver Academy,” said Browning.

“A huge thank you to everyone at the team for the opportunity to shoot for the stars. To be welcomed into the family is a dream come true, the heritage of this team is phenomenal. I can’t wait to see where we can go, our journey starts here.”

Williams’ sporting director Sven Smeets said: “We’re pleased to have Luke join the Driver Academy. He’s a highly talented driver with several major achievements already under his belt, including the 2022 Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award, the 2022 GB3 Championship, and the 2020 British F4 Championship.

“Everyone at Williams Racing is looking forward to working closely with Luke throughout the year as he competes in FIA Formula 3 with Hitech Pulse-Eight. He’ll have the opportunity to develop his abilities while providing useful feedback through simulator work at Grove.”