F1 News: Carlos Sainz Paired with New Teammate for Home Spanish GP

Williams confirmed on the morning of Tuesday, June 9 that a different driver will be behind the wheel for part of the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix weekend at the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship. The announcement means Carlos Sainz will have an unfamiliar face alongside him when action gets underway at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The British outfit shared an official statement on social media confirming that reserve driver Luke Browning will take over Alexander Albon's car for the first free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix. It will mark another step forward in the young driver's gradual integration into Formula 1, as Williams continues to build him up through structured track time.

The team explained the reasoning behind the decision. They noted that Browning had already accumulated meaningful mileage in Williams' machinery and that the upcoming sessions would represent his fourth and fifth FP1 appearances with the team. For a driver who had consistently impressed at every stage of his development, the opportunity to take part in two free practice sessions during the European leg of the season was described as a natural progression.

It was also highlighted the broader significance of the outings and was pointed out that these FP1 sessions would mark the first time Browning had driven under the new technical regulations, giving him a valuable opportunity to experience the latest generation of Formula 1 cars at first hand — deepening his understanding of their characteristics and helping the team refine its setup work for the remainder of the campaign. The sessions also fulfil two of the mandatory rookie driver appearances Williams is required to complete this season.

Luke Browning began his motorsport journey in karting before making the switch to cars in 2016. After competing in the Junior Saloon Car Championship and making his mark in the Ginetta Junior Championship, he established himself as one of Britain's brightest young talents, finishing third in the 2018 standings with eight race wins to his name.

He stepped into British Formula 4 in 2019 and, the following year, claimed the championship title with seven victories and 16 podiums. In 2021, he competed in the ADAC F4 series, and in 2022, he won the GB3 Championship with Hitech GP — a season that also earned him the prestigious Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year award.

Browning moved up to FIA Formula 3 in 2023, a year in which he took a second-place finish in Barcelona and capped his campaign with a dominant win at the Macau Grand Prix, taking pole position and fastest lap. That same year, he joined the Williams Driver Academy. In 2024, he pushed for the Formula 3 title all the way to the final round, adding two victories and three podiums before making his Formula 2 debut with ART Grand Prix.

His first full F2 season in 2025 yielded a race win and nine podiums. At the start of 2026, he was appointed Williams Racing's official reserve driver while simultaneously competing in the Japanese Super Formula series with Team Kondo Racing. The promotion to reserve duties followed a third-place finish in the 2024 F3 Championship and fourth place in the highly competitive 2025 FIA Formula 2 Championship — results that underlined his steady climb through the Williams academy structure and made the case for giving him more time in a race-spec car.