Luke Browning will replace Carlos Sainz in the first practice session.

Luke Browning will replace Carlos Sainz in the first practice session.

      Luke Browning will take part in the first free race session of the Bahrain Grand Prix. A member of the Williams Racing Academy will replace Carlos Sainz at the wheel of the FW47.

      For the British rider, this will be the second experience of participating in free races. Last year, he drove a Williams in the first practice session in Abu Dhabi, replacing Alex Elbon. In preparation for the upcoming races at the Sakhir circuit, Luke took part in the Monza tests last week, driving a 2023 FW45 car. In addition to Browning, Victor Martin, a rookie from the Williams Racing Academy, participated in those tests.

      Luke Browning: "I got the opportunity to get back behind the wheel of Williams in Friday's practice session – my dream has come true. Every time I drive a Formula 1 car, I feel more confident.

      My main goal in the first training session is to get familiar with all the procedures and conditions in Formula 1, and to build on the experience gained in Abu Dhabi last December.

      I am interested to see how much progress the FW47 has made compared to the FW46, and I am very grateful to James Vaulz, Sven Smits and the entire Grove team for entrusting the car to me. I've done a lot in preparation and I'm grateful to everyone at the Racing Academy for supporting my development."

      Sven Smits, Sports Director: "Luke has made significant progress since his first weekend in Formula 2 and scored a lot of points in the first race of this season in Australia. His previous piloting experience in the first training session, participation in tests and work on the simulator allowed him to prepare for this weekend. We look forward to seeing the next step in its development."

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Luke Browning will replace Carlos Sainz in the first practice session.

Luke Browning will take part in the first free race session of the Bahrain Grand Prix. A member of the Williams Racing Academy will replace Carlos Sainz at the wheel of the FW47.