Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Williams Academy

  • Luke Browning to make FP1 outing

    F2 title contender and Williams Racing Academy Driver, Luke Browning will take part in the first practice session for the Mexico City Grand Prix.

    Browning will be taking over the wheel of Carlos Sainz’s FW47 for the opening 60 minute session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, fulfilling the third of four mandated rookie driver runs for Williams this year.

    It is set to mark his second outing in Williams’ 2025 challenger following an FP1 appearance in Bahrain earlier this year, which came after Browning’s F1 practice debut at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

    He has also driven the FW45 extensively in the squad’s TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) programme, while providing additional support through simulator development work.

    Browning is currently involved in a close fight for the F2 title, holding third in the standings on 161 points with two rounds to go – behind Aston Martin development driver Jak Crawford on 169 points and leader Leonardo Fornaroli on 188 points.

    I’m hugely grateful to be given another chance to drive in a free practice session with Williams and to experience the FW47 for a second time. I’ve been working hard to prepare for the session so I can make the most of this amazing opportunity and help the team plan for the race weekend ahead. I can’t wait to get back into an F1 car and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone in the Driver Academy and at Williams for their trust and support.
    Browning on the news.

    Luke has had a strong season in Formula 2 so far, consistently showing his pace across a range of circuits and racing conditions. He has continued to support the team through his simulator work and the TPC programme, preparing him well for his next free practice session. We look forward to seeing him take to the track in Mexico as he continues to build his experience as a Williams Racing Academy Driver.
    Sven Smeets, Williams’ Sporting Director.

  • MP Motorsport retain Giusti for 2026

    MP Motorsport has confirmed that Alessandro Giusti will be returning with the team for a second season of FIA Formula 3 in 2026.

    Giusti raced with the Dutch team for his rookie campaign this year and achieved two podiums as well as several points finishes on his way to finishing 10th in the Drivers’ Championship.

    Prior to his 2025 campaign, the Williams Racing Driver Academy prospect finished fourth in the 2024 edition of the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine and also became French F4 Champion in 2022.

    Giusti is now set to return for a second campaign with MP and following the announcement, he expressed his delight at the opportunity.

    I’m extremely happy to stay with MP Motorsport for a second season in FIA Formula 3. I feel really comfortable in this team, having built a very good relationship over the past year. I feel confident for the future as I found a family there. We will keep working hard during the winter to come back even stronger in 2026. I can’t wait to be back behind the wheel already!
    Giusti on the news.

    It’s wonderful to be able to announce Alessandro for 2026 straight after our 2025 Formula 3 season ended at Monza this weekend. His debut year in F3 has shown all the hallmarks of a quick learner who is set to shine in the all-important second season in the category. This year, we have built a strong foundation with Alessandro and I look forward to seeing our work bear fruit in 2026. Along with Mattia, we now have two immensely talented young drivers on our FIA F3 squad for next season that will help us to retain our position in the top ranks of the Teams’ championship.
    Sander Dorsman, MP Motorsport Team Principal.

  • Victor Martins joins Williams Driver Academy

    Williams have announced that F2 driver and former F3 champion Victor Martins has become the latest addition to their Driver Academy, adding to their roster of young talent on the pathway to Formula 1.

    Martins won a closely-fought title battle during the 2022 Formula 3 campaign, the Frenchman beating the six other drivers – including the likes of Ollie Bearman and Isack Hadjar – that remained in contention at the Monza season finale to secure the crown for ART Grand Prix.

    From there he progressed to Formula 2 in 2023 and finished his debut season in fifth place, whilst also helping, whilst also helping the ART Grand Prix squad to secure their first F2 Teams’ title.
    Martins collected a further five podiums in 2024, including a victory in the Barcelona Sprint Race.

    Alongside competing in his third F2 campaign for ART Grand Prix in 2025, Martins will receive training and guidance from the Williams Driver Academy as he continues to develop his skills on and off the track.

    The 23 year old who was previously a part of the Alpine Academy is set to get behind the wheel of the FW45 as part of the TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) programme in Monza this weekend, as will fellow F2 driver and Academy member Luke Browning.

    I’m super happy to be joining the Williams Racing Driver Academy! This is a new chapter for me, but my goal remains the same – to push myself to the limit, both as a person and as a racing driver, and to make it to Formula 1. Williams is an iconic team with an incredible history, and I’m confident this is the best place to be to help me achieve my goals. This year, I’ll put all my focus into winning the Formula 2 Drivers’ Championship with ART Grand Prix and maximising this opportunity with the Driver Academy both on and off the track. I look forward to working with everyone at Williams as we embark on this new journey together.
    Martins on the news.

    We’re thrilled to welcome Victor to the Williams Racing Driver Academy. He has repeatedly demonstrated that he is a talented driver who is capable of winning championships. We will continue to support Victor’s development on and off the track as part of the Academy and look forward to working with him in 2025.
    Sven Smeets, Sporting Director at Williams.

  • Hitech confirm Luke Browning

    Hitech Pulse-Eight have announced that Luke Browning will race for the team in Formula 2 next season, their first confirmed driver for 2025.

    Browning made the step up to F2 earlier this season in Baku after a stellar 2024 campaign with Hitech in F3 in which he fought for the title until the final race of the year.

    The Williams Racing Driver Academy member finished the year with three podiums, including two Feature Race victories in Sakhir and Spielberg.

    He goes into the 2025 season having accumulated F2 experience this year, taking part in the final three rounds of the year in Baku, Lusail and Yas Marina, scoring points across the six races.

    I’m so happy that I’ll be racing in F2 with Hitech next season. I’ve been through every category of single seater racing with this team and to be able to complete the ladder with them is incredibly important and special for me. I would like to thank Oliver Oakes in particular for his support throughout the last three seasons. There is nothing I want more than to win the F2 Championship with this group of people around me, and that is our goal for 2025.
    Browning on the news.

    After three seasons with Hitech, Luke has worked closely with the team at every stage of his journey up the single-seater ladder. We’re extremely proud of his progression to F2, and to see him get his competitive F1 debut last week in Abu Dhabi. With Luke getting the opportunity to step up to Formula 2 for the final three rounds of the current season, coupled with the experience he has gathered from his Formula 1 Free Practice, and the Young Driver Test this week, we couldn’t have wished for better preparation for his 2025 campaign. Luke and Hitech share the same objective for 2025 – to win the Formula 2 Championship – and we have no doubt that he will be fighting for victories every step of the way.
    Clive Hatton, Hitech Team Manager.

  • Block returns for 2025 with Williams

    Lia Block will be back for more in 2025, as Williams have announced that the American driver will continue to represent them next season.
    The 18 year old’s sophomore campaign also sees her drive with ART Grand Prix again.

    This season, Block has taken the transition from rallying to single-seaters in her stride. Building confidence and strengthening her skills round-by-round.
    She finished eighth in the Drivers’ Standings with two P4 finishes which was her best finish.

    Alongside representing them on the grid, Block will remain a member of the Williams Racing Driver Academy and she is thrilled at continuing their partnership for another year.

    I’m excited to be racing with Williams Racing and ART Grand Prix for the 2025 season, and I’m looking forward to working with everyone in the Driver Academy for another year. We’ve made so much progress, and I can’t wait to hit the track again in Shanghai. This time we fight for wins!
    Block on the news.

    We’re thrilled to have Lia racing with us in F1 Academy for 2025. Lia has shown impressive improvement throughout her first season of open-wheel racing, progressing race after race to end the year in a great position. We’ll be closely watching her continued growth in the coming year.
    Sven Smeets, Sporting Director at Williams Racing.

  • MP Motorsport confirm Giusti for 2025

    Alessandro Giusti will race with MP Motorsport in 2025, joining Tim Tramnitz and Bruno Del Pino at the Dutch team and completing their line-up for next season.

    The Williams Academy member moves up from the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, where he finished fourth overall, taking two race victories and a further five podiums.

    Prior to FRECA, the Frenchman raced in the French F4 Championship where he won the title in 2022 during his second campaign in single seaters.

    Giusti took part in the F3 post-season test with MP, finishing eighth overall in Jerez and 12th in Barcelona as he got his first taste of F3 machinery ahead of his debut next year.

    I’m excited to step up to Formula 3 with MP Motorsport. Our first tests together at Jérez and Barcelona were highly promising which is a good sign for my rookie season in the category. It’s my aim to know the team better as we head into the coming season, especially with the new F3-2025 car. I can’t wait to make my F3 debut at Melbourne in March!
    Giusti on the news.

    It’s wonderful to be able to announce Tim, Bruno and Alessandro at such an early date. This will allow our FIA F3 squad to focus on a productive winter of development with the new Dallara F3-2025 car while forging a cooperative bond between our drivers. Alessandro has proved to be a hugely talented driver who I’m sure will quickly find his feet in this highly competitive feeder series on the road to Formula 1. As we have seen in Formula 2 this year, a new car will be a bonus for the championship’s rookies, as it will provide a level playing field for all. I’m confident that Alessandro will be among the drivers to benefit from that.
    Sander Dorsman, MP Motorsport Team Principal.

  • Colapinto to take part in FP1 for Williams

    Argentine F2 racer, Franco Colapinto will be making his Formula 1 debut this weekend when he drives Logan Sargeant’s Williams at the British Grand Prix in FP1.

    So far this year, the 21 year old is enjoying a strong rookie season in Formula 2, having won one race and scored two podiums in the last four rounds to sit fifth in the standings.

    The Williams Driver Academy racer will dovetail this opportunity, which will see him share the garage with Alex Albon, with his F2 duties on the same race weekend.

    It will be the second time Colapinto has got behind the wheel of Formula 1 machinery, after he drove for Williams in last year’s young driver test in Abu Dhabi and it is part of a requirement for every team to run a young driver in FP1 at least twice during a season.

    Colapinto has fond memories of Silverstone having won the Sprint race at the venue last year in F3, on his way to fourth in the drivers’ championship.

    I have so many emotions. I am extremely delighted and it’s a very important moment in my life and my career. I will be the most prepared I can; I will be doing a lot of laps in the simulator and studying the details needed to drive this year’s car. I’m really looking forward to experiencing the new car after driving last year’s in Abu Dhabi. To be able to drive it at a track like Silverstone is a privilege, it is one of my favourite tracks and to drive it at the team’s home race means a lot. To all the Argentine fans – I hope you enjoy FP1 as much as I’m going to! It’s an important moment for our country and I’m so grateful for all the support I’ve been given. I’m going to give my all to make you proud.
    Colapinto on the news.

    Franco has had a very encouraging start to his debut season in F2 and we are delighted to reward his performances over the past two years with his first FP1 session. We are proud of our talented group of drivers in the Williams Racing Driver Academy and it is important for us to give them the opportunity to progress and have these important chances as they move up the ladder. To showcase our talent at our home race at Silverstone is a nice moment and, of course, this is going to be a great day for the Argentine F1 fans.
    Sven Smeets, Sporting Director.

  • F3 – RND 6 Day 2 & 3

    Day 2-

    Pole sitter, Stenshorne tried to cover off Mansell from lights out but the Australian was able to get alongside him into Turn 1 to take the lead.
    The Hitech driver tried a re-pass into Turn 3 but was left running off the track, giving Tsolov momentum to take second position into Turn 4, making it an ART 1-2.

    Dino Beganovic was a spinner at Turn 1 falling from inside the top 10 down to 25th. Kacper Sztuka was an early retirement and was stranded on the circuit which required the Safety Car to neutralise things.

    Racing then resumed on lap 5 and Mansell was able to retain the advantage in front. Luke Browning was on the move after his grip penalty left him from starting 15th, going three-wide into Turn 4 to pass Nikita Bedrin and Arvid Lindblad to move into 11th.

    With DRS, Tsolov was able to get alongside Mansell into Turn 4 and rounded the Australian on the outside to take the lead on lap 7.

    Browning moved himself into the points-paying positions at the expense of Tim Tramnitz, moving down the inside at Turn 3 on lap 10 to secure 10th from the MP driver.

    Lap 12, and Fornaroli put a brave move on Bedrin to move up to 14th, passing the AIX Racing driver around the outside of Turn 6.

    Lap 16, was a busy one as Montoya looked to make a move on Alex Dunne at Turn 1, but the MP driver resisted the pressure to hold onto the position.

    Up further ahead, Mansell got a move at Turn 4 to stick on Tsolov, able to take the lead from his ART teammate and remain ahead.
    Gabriele Mini got brave and rounded Oliver Goethe on the outside at Turn 6 to secure sixth position.

    Contact with Trident’s Sami Meguetounif at the end of the lap for Lindblad left the PREMA Racing rookie with a puncture and dropped him out of the points fight.

    On lap 17, the fight for the lead continued with Tsolov getting back through on Mansell at Turn 4, a slow corner exit for the Australian allowed Stenshorne a run through Turn 5, putting the Norwegian up to second.

    The fight for the top five places continued just behind the trio but after a heated battle Montoya made contact with Dunne and was left spinning at Turn 4. The Colombian driver out of his car and ok, but the crash required another Safety Car.

    The Safety Car was withdrawn with one lap to go, setting up a final lap sprint to the finish. Tsolov got the restart he needed to put some distance between himself and Stenshorne, and the Bulgarian earned his second sprint race victory of the year ahead of the Hitech driver.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Tsolov, P2: Stenshorne, P3: Mansell, P4: Dunne, P5: Van Hoepen, P6: Mini, P7: Goethe, P8: Tramnitz, P9: Leon and P10: Meguetounif.

    Day 3-

    Browning launched into a clear lead at the first corner while PREMA Racing teammates Lindblad, Mini and Beganovic followed in second through to fourth as Tim Tramnitz dropped down to seventh.
    Lindblad and Mini battled on the exit of Turn 4 which allowed Beganovic the run into Turn 6 to take third from the Italian.

    That became second for the Swede on lap 2, as he dived down the inside of his teammate into Turn 3. Noel Leon was on the move too further back, taking sixth from Sebastian Montoya as he continued his charge from 13th.

    Lindblad was dropping through the pack on lap 8 after brief contact with Alex Dunne into Turn 3 as the MP Motorsport driver passed Goethe.
    Leon, Dunne and Goethe were able to clear the Brit on the run to Turn 4 to relegate the Red Bull Junior Team driver to seventh.

    Contact at Turn 3 between Mari Boya in the Campos and AIX Racing’s Nikita Bedrin brought out a Virtual Safety Cat on lap 11 while marshals retrieved the latter’s car.

    Back to racing conditions and Goethe was on the attack against Leon for fourth. The slightest of touches resulted in a puncture for the Van Amersfoort Racing driver, ending his charge through the pack and tumbling down the order.

    10 laps to go, everyone behind leader, Browning had DRS down to ninth-placed Tramnitz as the fight for points ebbed and flowed.

    Christian Mansell made his way into sixth position with a pass around the outside of Lindblad at Turn 4 on lap 19.
    That became fourth for the Australian with five laps to go, diving down the inside of Goethe at Turn 4.

    Mini made an attempt on Beganovic for second at Turn 3 on the following lap, but it was Mansell that went surging around the outside of the Italian at the following corner to take third. That was until Mini pulled off his own audacious pass to re-take P3 at Turn 6.

    Onto the penultimate lap and the battling behind allowed Browning to break out of DRS range to Beganovic, who was under attack from teammate Mini at Turn 4, with the Alpine Academy driver securing second a Turn 6.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Browning, P2: Mini, P3: Beganovic, P4: Mansell, P5: Goethe, P6: Tsolov, P7: Lindblad, P8: Vans Hoepen, P9: Fornaroli and P10: Dunne.

  • F3 – RND 6 Day 1

    Practice-

    Jenzer Motorsport’s Charlie Wurz ended up quickest of all in the opening session.
    The Austrian saved his best effort for the final five minutes to go top on a 1:21.182, while Trident’s Santiago Ramos got closest to him, just half a tenth back in second.

    Joshua Dufek set the early pace for AIX Racing, though it was beaten shortly afterwards by ART Grand Prix’s Laurens van Hoepen, as he set a 1:22.409 to lead after 10 minutes of running.

    Van Amersfoort Racing’s Noel Leon then moved to the top of the timing screens, lowering the fastest effort to a 1:22.387 to narrowly head up the field. Sami Meguetounif then put Trident in P1, going quicker still onto a 1:22.325.

    After a minor lock-up on his first flying lap, Luke Browning went quickest of all approaching the halfway stage on a 1:21.781. Teammate Martininius Stenshorne made it a one-two for Hitech Pule Eight.

    Fornaroli took back over at the top with 16 minutes to go of the session, lowering the benchmark to a 1:21.663 to lead the way.

    After a lull in action, and return to the pits, cars ventured back out onto the circuit with under 10 minutes to go for the final laps.

    Charlie Wurz for Jenzer Motorsport was the first to go quickest of all, deposing Fornaroli and then going quicker still, putting in a 1:21.182 to go almost half a second quicker than anyone else.

    Santiago Ramos closed the gap down to just 0.054s with under two minutes remaining to go second.

    Qualifying-

    Luke Browning earned his first pole position in FIA Formula 3, opting to run without a tow on the final runs to take the top spot around the Red Bull Ring.

    The Hitech Pulse Eight driver was at the head of the train going into the final few laps and was able to record a 1:20.222 without a slipstream to lead PREMA Racing’s Arvid Lindblad and MP Motorsport driver Tim Tramnitz.

    In the opening stages, Noel Leon set the pace before being deposed by Nikola Tsolov, then Oliver Goethe and finally Gabriele Mini, with the PREMA driver’s 1:21.013 the time to beat.

    The Van Amersfoort Racing driver repositioned himself in P1 with his next effort, just over a tenth quicker than Mini, before the Alpine Academy driver responded to go quickest by just 0.005s.

    A return to the pits and switch to a fresh set of tyres, the field was back out onto the circuit.
    After trying unsuccessfully to not lead the field across the line to gain a tow, Browning led the line for the final flying laps without a slipstream and set a 1:20.222 for provisional pole.

    Lindblad got closest to him, moving into second just 0.048s off that effort, while Tramnitz was another late improvement for MP.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Browning, P2: Lindblad, P3: Tramnitz, P4: Mini, P5: Beganovic, P6: Goethe, P7: Van Hoepen, P8: Montoya, P9: Dunne and P10: Tsolov.

  • F2 – RND 5 Day 3 & 4

    Day 3-

    Despite a slower getaway than fellow front row starter Bortoleto, Barnard was able to keep a hold of the lead while Hauger tucked into third.
    However, a safety car was required after Victor Martins’ race ended early in the barriers at Turn 1.

    The ART Grand Prix driver appeared to collide with DAMS Lucas Oil’s Jak Crawford and Campos Racing’s Josep Maria Marti, taking off his front wing and sending him into the wall.

    At the restart, Barnard kept a hold of the lead, but the Safety Car was deployed again on lap 6 when Marti crashed into the wall at the swimming pool section.
    Racing then resumed on lap 8 and by the end of the next tour of the track, the top four from Barnard to Andrea Kimi Antonelli were separated by a second and a half.

    The Virtual Safety Car was then deployed on lap 11 after Richard Verschoor sustained damage on his front wing after hitting the apex at Mirabeua.
    The Trident driver appeared to receive a tap from Joshua Duerksen causing him to lose control.

    Out in front, Barnard’s lead over Bortoleto was now over two seconds by the start of lap 19, the Brazilian driver now coming under pressure from Hauger.

    Bearman’s day was made worse when he a slow moment out of Portier following an issue which dropped him down a few places.
    This promoted Maloney to 11th, who was looking to dive down the inside of Zak O’Sullivan for P10.

    The Championship leader’s day then came to an end at La Rascasse after he locked up into the corner before being sent into a spin by Juan Manuel Correa. This also left Maini without a place to go causing him to stop next to Maloney, with the track blocked it triggered a red flag.

    Racing got back underway with a rolling start on lap 26 and Barnard was now nearly four seconds clear of Bortoleto as they rounded the track for the 28th time.

    As they started the final lap, the gap out front was five seconds leaving Barnard to cross the line in first, giving him and AIX Racing their maiden Formula 2 victory. Boroleto finished in P2 while Hauger followed him across the line to take P3.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Barnard, P2: Bortoleto, P3: Hauger, P4: Antonelli, P5: Colapinto, P6: Stanek, P7: Aron, P8: Hadjar, P9: Fittipaldi and P10: O’Sullivan.

    Day 4-

    Richard Verschoor made a fast start from pole in the Trident, but his fellow front row starter Victor Martins fell down the order. It allowed Hadjar and Aron to move up to second and third.

    Further back, Gabriel Bortoleto was using his supersoft tyres well as he went round the outside of Dennis Hauger at the Turn 6 hairpin putting him up to eighth. He was right behind Oliver Bearman who made his way up from 12th to P7.

    It was not good news however for DAMS Lucas Oil driver Jak Crawford, who stopped on track at Turn 7 after colliding with the Invicta Racing car of Kush Maini.

    On lap 4 of 42, Verschoor was being put under pressure by Hadjar, while Aron was falling back in third. Just behind the top three, Colapinto was feeling the presence of PREMA’s Antonelli for P4.

    The drivers then held station but by lap 10, Bortoleto was given the hurry up from his Invicta Racing team and told to catch berman ahead.

    Trouble came for Trident and Verschoor, with the Dutch driver coming on the radio to report an issue. The Dutchman was able to keep things going but his three second lead to Hadjar was now gone.

    At the halfway stage, Hitech and PREMA rolled the dice by pitting Aron and Antonelli for the supersoft tyres. The latter came out ahead his teammmate Bearman, though the two went wheel to wheel and the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy talent claimed the position.

    On lap 36, Hadjar came on the radio to say he had hit the wall but was able to continue, although he was still coming under attack from Aron.
    Elsewhere, Maloney and Barnard made contact at the Turn 6 hairpin, with the AIX racer losing a piece of his front wing.

    Lap 40, Joshua Duerksen was next to pit but collided with Maloney at Turn 1. The AIX driver stopped on track while the Rodin Motorsport driver continued on.

    This gave Zak O’Sullivan, the last remaining runner on the alternative strategy yet to pit, the chance to come in from the lead.
    Crucially, he was called in by ART moments before the VSC was deployed, making his stop under VSC legal.

    The Brit re-joined ahead of Hadjar on the penultimate lap before holding him off on a tense final lap to take his maiden victory in Formula 2.

    The full top 10 are- P1: O’Sullivan, P2: Hadjar, P3: Aron, P4: Bearman, P5: Correa, P6: Hauger, P7: Antonelli, P8: Bortoleto, P9: Martins and P10: Maloney.

  • Browning remains with HiTech for 2024

    HiTech Pulse-Eight have retained Luke Browning for the 2024 Formula 3 campaign, announcing that the Williams Academy driver will spend his second season in the Championship with them.

    2024 will be Browning’s third year in the Hitech fold, having achieved the GB3 Championship title with them in 2022. Earning his promotion to F3 this year, the Brit went on to score one podium finish in the Barcelona Sprint Race, overall he finished 15th in the Standings.
    Alongside this, Browning stormed to a lights to flag victory in the Macau Grand Prix last month.

    Browning’s racing career began in saloon cars in 2019, before joining the British F4 grid in 2019. His follow up season included seven wins, 16 podiums and six pole positions to bring home the title.
    He then went on to finish third in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship the next year, in addition to three-race appearances in Italian F4 and GB3 Championship.

    Completing a full campaign in GB3, Browning was crowned Champion with five victories and 13 podiums to his name. Not only this, he went on to win the BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award, completing his prize in an F1 car with Aston Martin and followed that up by earning a spot in the Williams Driver Academy this year.

    I am super excited to announce I’ll be joining the grid with Hitech Pulse-Eight for the 2024 Formula 3 season. I have an abundance of faith in the team around me, with the things we learned throughout the season last year I believe we will be able to build on our skills and ability to execute which we showed a glimmer of most recently in Macau. This Championship will never be easy with the standard of drivers but also with just the nature of the Championship. However, having visited all of the tracks we’re going to next year once before, I believe puts us in a great position to score points in every race weekend going forward. I’m super grateful to Williams Racing and Hitech Pulse-Eight for their support going into the new season. Consistently delivering is the goal, and one I look forward to achieving next year.

    Browning on the news.

    We are delighted to have Luke racing with the team again in his second season of FIA Formula 3. We are confident in his ability to fight for wins and come away with a consistent set of results. Following our win in Macau together last month, we are eager to be fighting upfront from the get-go when the 2024 season commences in February.

    Hitech Team Manager, Paul Bellringer.

  • Williams recruit Lia Block for F1 Academy

    Williams, have announced that American racer Lia Block will be representing them on the 2024 F1 Academy grid, as she joins their Driver Academy programme.

    Block has already made a name for herself competing in rally, Extreme E and rallycross, becoming the youngest American Rally Association champion in history when she won the Open Two-Wheel Drive class this year.

    2024 will see the 17 year old undertake her first full season in open-wheel racing, driving for ART Grand Prix in F1 Academy alongside McLaren junior, Bianca Bustamante.

    All 10 current Formula 1 teams will have one driver and have their livery on a car competing in the all-female F1 Academy from 2024.

    I am so excited to be joining the Williams Driver Academy and competing in F1 Academy in 2024! This is something I never could have dreamed of. I can’t wait to embrace this new experience and learn as much as possible.

    Block on the news.

    We are excited to welcome Lia to Williams Racing as our F1 Academy driver for 2024. Lia has already achieved a tremendous amount in motorsport, has incredible natural talent, and the champion mindset and dedication to make a success of her journey into open-wheel racing. We cannot wait to get started on this journey together. As a team, we are committed to Formula 1 and F1 Academy’s joint efforts to improve female representation in motorsport, and we look forward to working with Lia as a key part of the Williams Racing Driver Academy.

    Vowles on the news.

    Extreme sports are part of Lia’s DNA and her debut in high-profile international competitions attest to her talent and her adaptability to a wide range of demanding environments. At 17 years old, Lia is driven with a great determination and an appetite for major challenges, that should allow her to quickly find her place on our team and in the F1 Academy.

    ART Grand Prix Team Principal, Sebastien Philippe.

  • Williams announce Academy Driver to take part in FP1

    Williams are set to fulfil their final remaining rookie Free Practice 1 outing of 2023 by running their academy driver Zak O’Sullivan in Abu Dhabi – with the Briton and fellow Williams Driver Academy member Franco Colapinto to share driving duties at the subsequent post-season Young Driver Test.

    Since 2022, F1’s regulations have included a mandatory pair of FP1 outings per year for drivers who have completed less than two Grands Prix, with each team’s race driver obliged to give up their seat once.

    Williams running rookie Logan Sargeant in 2023 used up one of those requirements for the team in Bahrain’s FP1 – while O’Sullivan’s Abu Dhabi experience is set to fulfil the second, the Briton to take over Alex Albon’s Williams FW45 in the final Free Practice 1 session of the year.

    I’m really excited to participate in FP1 at Abu Dhabi. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the FW45 for the first time and get some good mileage under my belt. In addition to that, I’m returning to the car for the post-season rookie test to further my development with the team.

    O’Sullivan on the news.

    As O’Sullivan mentions, he will then be run by Williams at the post-season Young Driver Test at the Yas Marina Circuit, sharing driving duties with fellow F3 racer Colapinto – who claimed P4 in the standings in 2023.

    The Argentinian driver will also make his Formula 2 debut in Abu Dhabi, ahead of his and O’Sullivan’s promotion to the series in 2024 with MP Motorsport and ART Grand Prix respectively.

    Both Zak and Franco have had impressive seasons in Formula 3. We’re now looking forward to giving them the opportunity to drive the FW45 in Abu Dhabi to aid their development as part of their roles in the Williams Racing Driver Academy. The pair have demonstrated a high level of understanding and maturity during their simulator work conducted at Grove. I know they’ll both be working hard in preparation for this experience and will make the most of it.

    Sven Smeets, Williams Racing’s Sporting Director.

  • O’Sullivan steps up to Formula 2

    ART Grand Prix has confirmed that Williams Driver Academy star, Zak O’Sullivan will join the team for the 2024 Formula 2 campaign.
    The Briton has signed with the team after finishing the 2023 FIA F3 season as runner-up in the Drivers’ Championship.

    Competing with PREMA Racing in F3 this year, O’Sullivan notched up four race wins throughout the 2023 campaign, the highest number of victories during the season.

    The 18 year old, has been climbing the junior motorsport pyramid in quick fashion, switching from the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2019 to British F4 in 202, achieving runner-up finishes in both campaigns.
    In 2021, O’Sullivan secured the GB3 Championship title, with seven race wins and 14 podiums comprising his impressive record that year.

    Promotion to FIA F3 with Rodin Carlin followed in 2022, and he earned two podiums and a pole position during his rookie campaign, finishing the season 11th overall. Swapping to PREMA in ’23 he went from strength to strength, going on to finish second in the Championship.

    I’m exciting to be joining ART for my rookie F2 season. I’m really looking forward to getting started. The team have a great depth of experience so can’t wait to get going in the Abu Dhabi tests with them.

    O’Sullivan on the news.

    I’m delighted about the collaboration between Zak and ART Grand Prix. He’s a driver we’ve been following for a long time, and he has consistently elevated his level of performance. His background and mindset align with ART Grand Prix’s mission of supporting young drivers to the highest levels of motorsport. It’s with pleasure and honour that we welcome a member of the Williams Racing Driver Academy. With proper winter preparation, his racing approach and adaptability should enable him to compete at the front.

    Sebastien Philippe, ART Grand Prix Team Principal.

  • Colapinto graduates to F2

    MP Motorsport have announced that Franco Colapinto will make his Formula 2 debut with them in 2023 season finale at Yas Marina this month, ahead of a full campaign with the Dutch team next year.

    Colapinto steps up off the back of a second successful year in Formula 3, earning two wins and five podiums for MP. The Williams Racing Academy driver ended up fourth in the Drivers’ Championship.

    The Argentine racer is already well acquainted with MP. After storming his way to the 2019 Spanish F4 title in his debut season in single-seaters, Colapinto partnered up with the Dutch team the following year in Formula Renault Eurocup. He secured two wins and nine podiums, he finished his rookie campaign in third.

    Remaining with them for another season, he achieved sixth in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine. From there, he graduated to F3 with Van Amersfoort Racing, taking two wins on his way to ninth in the Drivers’ Standings in 2022 before reuniting with MP for the 2023 campaign.

    I’m absolutely thrilled to be moving up to Formula 2 with MP. MP are proven race winners in the category, and staying with them feels absolutely right. It’s a familiar atmosphere for me, and it will be to our advantage that we know each other so well as I enter my debut season in the category. I’m very much look forward to the fresh challenge of a new series, with a brand-new car to help develop. I can’t wait to get in the car in Abu Dhabi and then work with the team to be ready for a long and challenging 2024 season.

    Colapinto on the news.

    It’s great news that we are able to announce Franco’s promotion to our F2 team so early. This will give us a headstart in our preparations for an exciting 2024 F2 season in which we all start from zero, with the new F2 car offering everyone a new baseline to work from. Retaining Franco helps us to maintain stability in that transition, apart from the fact that he’s become a member of the MP family and is an extremely quick and talented driver.

    Sander Dorsman, MP Team Principal.

  • F3 – RND 10 – Day 2 & 3

    Day 2, Sprint Race-

    Promoted to the reverse grid front row, Boya took full advantage with a lightning launch off the line to get the better off Colapinto for the lead.

    The slightest of contact between Caio Collet and Aron on the run down to Turn 1 left the PREMA driver with a puncture. The Estonian spun and collected both Edgar and Marti.

    In the battle for third, ART GP teammates Gregoire Saucy and Nikola Tsolov made contact, forcing the Bulgarian to defend from Taylor Barnard behind. The Jenzer driver managed to make it through to fourth as the Safety Car was deployed at the end of the opening lap.

    Having dispatched of Tsolov, Bartoleto made his own move on the Australian ahead. With the benefit of DRS, the Trident driver went down the inside into Ascari for sixth. Oliver Goethe was on a charge from P22, clearing teammate Leonardo Fornaroli and Tsolov in one corner for eighth.

    Colapinto took charge on lap 10, passing Boya for the lead into the first corner. Dueling over third, O’Sullivan and Saucy made contact out of Turn 1, leaving the Swiss driver with a puncture and falling down the order.

    Out front, Colapinto brought home back-to-back Sprint Race victories at Monza. Bortoleto’s patience behind Boya paid off, as the Brazilian claimed second with a move into Turn 4 on the last lap.

    Day 3, Feature Race-

    Drama had already began to unfold before the 21 laps of racing had even got underway. Pole sitter, Oliver Goethe pulled off the grid reporting a broken throttle, leading to an extra formation lap.

    Once the five lights went out, Collet covered off the inside to hold the lead, third-placed Paul Aron immediately tried to take advantage of the space in front but lost out to Edgar.

    The Safety Car was deployed on the opening lap after Sprint Race winner, Franco Colapinto stopped on track after contact at Turn 5.
    After racing had resumed on lap 4, Edgar was back on the attack diving past Collet at Turn 1. Three-wide with Aron and O’Sullivan in the battle for third, Bortoleto went too deep and was forced to go down the escape road dropping down to P6.

    Another off-track excursion for Brazilian at Turn 4 gave Nikola Tsolov the opportunity to attack, allowing Barnard and Mari Boya to also come through and demote Bortoleto to P9.
    Saucy tried the same but contact between the pair left the ART Grand Prix driver with a puncture sending him sailing off into the barriers.

    The leading battles were fierce as Collet slid past Edgar to regain the lead on lap 12, whilst Barnard lunged at O’Sullivan to claim third through the first chicane. Undeterred, Edgar made full use of the slipstream, carrying enough overspeed to breeze past the Brazilian back up to the front of the field one lap later.

    Another Safety Car interruption to running came after Sebastian Montoya got stuck in the gravel at Turn 5 having been tagged by Hitech Pulse-Eight teammate Gabriele Mini.

    With a last lap shootout to overcome, Edgar went early to break clear on the restart. O’Sullivan was slow to react. Collet tried the switchback out of the Della Roggia chicane to take second but it was Barnard who made his move stick, swooping through on the Brazilian to secure the final podium spot which made it three Brits on the podium.

  • F3 – RND 8 – Day 2 & 3

    Day 2-

    In his first front row start of Formula 3, Nikita Bedrin didn’t let inexperience fail him, as he nailed his getaway and gave him the run he need to swoop around the outside and take the lead out of Turn 1.

    Bortoleto tried to execute the same move on Mansell for third, but the Trident driver couldn’t keep it within the white lines, going across the run-off.

    Further back on the grid, Tommy Smith and Sebastian Montoya made contact on the opening lap, with Van Amersfoort Racing driver pitched into the air and across the gravel.

    Having been waiting for a time to make the right move, Bortoleto pounced for third on lap 7. Utilising the DRS, the Trident driver sailed from a long way back down the inside of the Campos at Turn 1.
    Aron tried to do the same two laps later, with a great run out of the final corner but couldn’t make the late move stick and ended up running wide.

    Attempting to find his way through on Tsolov, O’Sullivan tried moves left, right and centre as the Bulgarian driver got his elbows out to defend eighth. Looking up at the apex, the PREMA car tagged the rear of the ART forcing O’Sullivan to box.

    Montoya came to a halt between Turns 12 and 13, which triggered a Virtual Safety Car which was quickly converted into a full Safety Car.

    Once racing resumed on lap 17 the field faced a three-lap sprint to the line. Aron instantly forced Mansell onto the defensive for fourth position, having been unable to get past at Turn 1, the Estonian got the job done around the outside of Turn 3.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Mini, P2: Bortoleto, P3: Bedrin, P4: Aron, P5: Goethe, P6: Mansell, P7: Colapinto, P8: Edgar, P9: Saucy and P10: Beganovic.

    Day 3-

    O’Sullivan wasted no time breaking clear out front, as he bolted off the line to cover off his teammate Beganovic on the run down into Turn 1.

    Oliver Goethe tried to swoop around the outside of Colapinto, but the MP Motorsport driver fought back to cling on to fourth. Having lost P6 off the line, Paul Aron muscled his way past Jonny Edgar through Turn 3.

    After a disappointing Qualifying, Josep Maria Marti was on a redemption charge from 13th on the grid. The Spanish driver moved up into the points, where he quickly dispatched his teammate Mansell along with Edgar on Lap 8 to move into 8th position.

    Championship rivals Bortoleto and Marti squared off against each other for seventh. The Campos car tried to pass the Brazilian at Turn 1, but a huge lock-up sent him sailing wide across the run-off area.

    Edgar began hounding Mansell at the tail end of the points. Mansell suffered a lock up into Turn 1 on Lap 18, allowing the Briton to breeze through, with his MP teammate Mari Boya taking advantage to demote him out of the top 10.

    The full top 10 are- P1: O’Sullvian, P2: Beagnovic, P3: Colapinto, P4: Goethe, P5: Aron, P6: Marti, P7: Bortoleto, P8: Edgar, P9: Fornaroli and P10: Boya.

    Not long to wait until round 9 as it’s this week! We only have two rounds remaining of the Formula 3 2023 Championship, who will be our new champion?…

  • F3 – RND 8 – Day 1

    Free Practice-

    Zak O’Sullivan was the driver to beat in the opening Free Practice session in Budapest. The PREMA Racing driver clocked in a 1:32.701 to take the top spot during the first half of the session.

    Mari Boya started MP Motorsport weekend strong in second, three-tenths off the #3 car and Paul Aron secured third moments before the session ended early due to a red flag.

    On his debut at the Hungaroring, Max Esterson took advantage of every opportunity to learn the track. Setting the initial time to beat with a 1:35.804s.

    Williams Academy junior, Luke Browning took the lead with a 1:33.726 putting the Hitech Pulse Eight car 0.792s clear of Nikola Tsolov.
    Jenzer Motorsport’s Nikita Bedrin joined Browning inside the 1:33s as the remained of the field slowly peeled out of the pits.

    PREMA Racing assumed the top of the timing sheets. Dino Beganovic went fastest with a 1:33.186 which was immediately beaten by O’Sullivan’s 1:32.702 and Aron joined his teammates inside the top three.

    Rafael Villagomez brought out the Red Flag with six minutes remaining, the Van Amersfoort driver spun and crashed into the barriers at Turns 11 and 12.

    Qualifying-

    PREMA Racing’s Zak O’Sullivan stormed his way to his second FIA Formula 3 pole position and secured his and the Italian squad’s first pole position of the 2023 season.

    Dino Beganovic couldn’t quite get close enough to his teammate’s 1:31.091 and had to settle for second, 0.403s off the Briton’s pace. Leonardo Fornaroli led Trident’s charge as he secured third.

    After a dry and humid free practice, conditions changed for Qualifying and the field faced a slippery albeit drying Hungaroring. With drivers getting in banker laps early, with Fornaroli setting the early pace.

    The red flag brought the session to a pause with 22 minutes on the clock. Oliver Gray got caught out around the slippery track, hitting the barriers out of Turn 3 but managed to crawl his way back to the pitlane.

    As the clocked ticked down, so did the lap times. Hugh Barter went quickest momentarily with a 1:33.784, before Boya, Mini and Mansell all found even more margin out front.

    O’Sullivan responded, going fastest in all three sectors to lay down a 1:31.091 with four minutes to go. As the medium tyres faded away, few could improve and the Williams junior’s time remained untouchable.

    The full top 10 are- P1: O’Sullivan, P2: Beganovic, P3: Fornaroli, P4: Colapinto, P5: Goethe, P6: Aron, P7: Tsolov, P8: Edgar, P9: Bortoleto and P10: Mansell.

  • F3 – RND 6 – Day 2 & 3

    Day 2-

    Marti retained his lead off the line, but Oliver Goethe didn’t pull away cleanly as he dropped down from fourth to 27th, where as Aron was flying and got up to third by the end of the first lap.

    On Lap 2, Trident’s Gabriel Bortoleto dropped down to 14th having been in ninth after a slow exit out of Turn 3 but the Brazilian was quick to start his fightback, taking 13th from Mari Boya and then 12th from Dino Beganovic.

    The Safety Car was deployed on Lap 11 after contact between Oliver Gray and Rafael Villagomez at Turn 4. The VAR driver was spun around following contact with the Rodin Carlin car, where the Brit had nowhere to go to avoid him.

    Aron had closed on Marti gradually lap after lap following the restart and on Lap 18, he cleared the Spanish driver into Turn3 3, fending off Mini in the process who’d put them all three-wide entering the corner.

    Collet dived to the inside of Marti at the final corner on the penultimate lap to move himself into third, and O’Sullivan capitalised on his lost momentum to pass Marti for fourth.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Aron, P2: Mini, P3: Collet, P4: O’Sullivan, P5: Edgar, P6: Marti, P7: Frederick, P8: Beganovic, P9: Montoya and P10: Bortoleto.

    Day 3-

    Gregoire Saucy held onto pole from lights out whilst Bortoleto had to fend off pressure from Paul Aron to keep hold of third. Further back, Gabriele Mini had slight contact with Luke Browning at Turn 4. The Hitech driver was sent across the gravel and was left out the race, which prompted a safety car on lap 2.

    Racing got back underway entering Lap 5 with Saucy able to build up a small gap to Dino Beganovic behind him. The ART driver couldn’t escape the one-second DRS window though, and the Swede was through for P1 on Lap 7 under breaking at Turn 4.

    Aron made a late dive down the inside of Bortoleto at Turn 3 to take third position on Lap 10. One lap later he tried the same on Saucy but had no room to make it stick.

    In the fight for the lead, Bortoleto was able to slipstream his way past Beganovic for P1 into Turn 4 on Lap 13, while Aron was finally forced to out for a new front wing due to contact.

    Further back, Caio Collet and Sebastian Montoya made progress up the top 10, passing Kaylen Frederick to take fifth and sixth places.

    The full top 10 are- P1: O’Sullivan, P2: Bortoleto, P3: Collet, P4: Colapinto, P5: Beganovic, P6: Edgar, P7: Mansell, P8: Barter, P9: Marti and P10: Fornaroli.

  • Luke Browning joins Williams Academy

    Williams Racing has announced that British racer, Luke Browning has joined the team’s Driver Academy.

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

    The 21 year old, is currently racing in F3 with Hitech Pulse-Eight squad and has scored 14 points from the first two round in Bahrain and in Australia.

    Browning has been signed after he won the GB3 Championship in 2022, scoring five wins and a further eight podiums while race 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.

    Browning is set to work on the Williams simulator in Grove throughout the year, 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. 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.

    Browning on the signing.

    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.

    Sven Smeets, Williams Sporting Director.

  • F3 – RND 2 – Day 2 & 3

    Day 2-

    Franco Colapinto was victorious in an event-filled Sprint Race, winning from P6 on the grid. The MP Motorsport driver put an impressive move on pole-sitter Sebastian Montoya at Turn 9 to take the lead early on.

    Zak O’Sullivan made a late-race pass on reverse pole-sitter Montoya to take second. The Hitech Pulse-Eight driver held on for a podium in third as the race ended under the Safety Car.

    But after the race was complete, Franco Colapinto lost the Melbourne Sprint Race victory following a post-race inspection found a technical infringement on his car.

    Pieces of bodywork were found to be outside of the regulatory limits, contravening Articles 1.2 and 2.5 of the Technical Regulations. Modifications to the geometry of the parts in question are prohibited by the rules outside of basic repairs.

    MP Motorsport drivers, Mari Boya and Jonny Edgar have also been disqualified from the race for the same technical infringement as was found on Colapinto’s car.

    It means that PREMA Racing’s Zak O’Sullivan inherits the victory, promoting Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Sebastian Montoya to 2nd and Paul Aron to 3rd.

    The full top 10 after the disqualifications are: P1: Sullivan, P2: Montoya, P3: Aron, P4: Mini, P5: Beganovic, P6: Bortoleto, P7: Fornaroli, P8: Saucy, P9: Mansell and P10: Frederick.

    Day 3-

    Gabriel Bortoleto made it two Feature Race wins in Formula 3 out of two, keeping Gregoire Saucy at bay for his second victory of the year. The Trident driver led every lap from pole position, leading through two safety car restarts in what was a measured performance.

    Saucy was on the podium for ART Grand Prix for the first time this season in second, finishing just 0.5s down on the winner. Gabriele Mini was third for HiTech Pulse-Eight.

    On Lap 2, Franco Colapinto claimed seventh from Luke Browning on the run to Turn 3 but his joy was short-lived. The MP Motorsport driver made brief contact with the Brit completing the move and sustained a puncture, which sent him into the barriers at Turn 5 and out of the race.

    Josep Maria Marti was on a charge, he went from 30th to 21st on the first lap alone and he was battling Campos Racing teammate Mansell for 12th.

    Contact between Ido Cohen and Rafael Villagomez out of Turn 4 the following lap spun the Rodin Carlin man into the barriers, bringing out the Safety Car once more. The Van Amersfoort Racing man was handed a 10 second time penalty for the incident.

    Once we went back to racing conditions on Lap 16 and Marti was on the move again clearing Goethe into Turn 4 to take 11th position, that then became 10th on Lap 18 after he put a brave move on Jonny Edgar going around the outside at Turn 9.

    The full top 10 are: P1: Bortoleto, P2: Saucy, P3: Mini, P4: Fornaroli, P5: Sullivan, P6: Aron, P7: Marti, P8: Browning, P9: Barnard and P10: Mansell.

    Formula 3 is not back now until the 19th to 21st May for Round 3 in Imola. However they do have in-season testing on the 13-14th April in Barcelona.

  • Gray steps up to F3

    Carlin have announced that British Formula 4 Vice-Champion, Oliver Gray will step up to Formula 3 with them for the 2023 campaign, with Williams confirming that the young Brit will continue as part of their Driver Academy for another year.

    Last year, the 17 year old finished as runner-up in the F4 British Championship with Carlin, claiming an impressive 16 podiums, two wins and two pole positions in his only second season of single-seater racing.

    Prior to making his debut in cars, Gray enjoyed karting success in the UK and Europe. He achieved the 2019 Motorsport UK Kartmasters and British Karting Championship titles at the X30 junior level, alongside taking the Vice Champion honours in the IAME Euro Series.

    Graduating to single-seaters for the 2021 British F4 season, he took two wins and two pole positions on his way to finish seventh in the standings. As well as making a two-round appearance in Italian F4 – earning him a spot in the Williams Driver Academy.

    I’m super excited to be making the step up to F3 next season. I’m indebted to my sponsors and for the belief that Williams and Carlin have shown in me. Hopefully this will be the first year of a two-year programme in F3, so the aim this season will be to really learn as much as possible about the car, circuits and tyres, all of which will be new to me. To be able to embark on that with the team at Carlin is a dream come true and I can’t wait to get going.

    Gray on his new seat.

    Ollie was a complete pleasure to have in the team last season and we really believe in his potential. It’s a big step up to FIA F3, which is an incredibly competitive championship so it will be a steep learning curve. Making steady but recognisable progress with every event will be the aim, and Ollie has the attitude and talent to be able to do that.

    Carlin Team Principal, Trevor Carlin.

  • Williams sign Colapinto

    Franco Colapinto has become the latest signing to the Williams Driver Academy.

    The Argentine competed in his rookie FIA Formula 3 campaign last year, finishing 9th in the drivers’ championship with Van Amersfoort after several stand-out performances across the season, including his debut in Bahrain.

    The 19 year old captured the Spanish F4 title in his first full season of single-seater racing in 2019, where he took 11 race wins. He drove in both Formula Renault Eurocup and Toyota Racing Series in 2020, finishing third in both series with three victories and 17 podiums combined.

    For his second FIA F3 season, Colapinto switches from VAR to reunite with MP Motorsport. The 19 year old took part in the post season test with the team last year, achieving 248 laps at Jerez and ending the test with the fastest time on the third and final day.

    It’s a real honour to join Williams Racing as an Academy Driver. They are one of the most successful teams in Formula 1 history and I am looking forward to following in the footsteps of my fellow countryman Carlos Reutemann. It’s an incredible opportunity for which I am forever grateful. Thanks to everyone at Williams for putting their trust in me. I am also excited to announce that I will be back with MP Motorsport for the 2023 FIA F3 season. I really enjoyed my time with the team in Eurocup and FRECA and we achieved some great results together. The goal is to reach even higher this time. My first year in FIA F3 was all about learning and I will use all the knowledge I’ve gathered to aim for the title next year. I am grateful to everyone who made this possible. Bullet Sports Management, YPF, ROFGO Racing, and of course, my beloved country Argentina. Thank you for all the support. I can’t wait to get the season started.

    Colapinto on joining the Academy and his new seat.

    We’re delighted to welcome Franco to the Williams Racing Driver Academy. His career achievements since starting karting highlight Franco’s natural ability behind the wheel and what he’s capable of in the years to come. He had a standout rookie season in Formula 3 with several strong performances that led to podiums and wins. We look forward to working closely with Franco to support and nurture his development as a driver.

    Sven Smeets, Sporting Director at Williams Racing.

  • Williams confirm Sargeant

    Williams have confirmed that American driver, Logan Sargeant will be stepping into a full-time race seat alongside Alex Albon for 2023, following the conclusion of the 2022 Formula 2 season.

    Sargeant headed into the Abu Dhabi F2 season finale, needing to score 10 super licence points in order to meet the required threshold to compete in Formula 1 – with Sargeant easily surpassing that figure by securing P4 in the final drivers’ standings.

    Therefore he met the criteria set out by Williams Team Principal, Jost Capito earlier in the year, with Williams duly handing the race seat to Sargeant, having announced in September that they would be parting company with Nicholas Latifi after three seasons.

    Sargeant will become the first driver to fly the flag for the United States of American on the F1 grid since Alexander Rossi in 2015.

    We’re delighted to officially announce Logan as our driver for next year after qualifying for a Super Licence following the final F2 event of the season in Abu Dhabi. Logan completes our exciting driver line-up for 2023 alongside Alex. Since joining our Driver Academy at the end of 2021, Logan has been able to fully integrate with the team at Grove while on the simulator and more recently at track during the four free practice sessions he’s participated in. He’s had a strong rookie season in Formula 2, and we are excited to watch him make the step up in Formula 1. We are here to support that journey with him.

    Jost Capito on his 2023 line-up.

    It’s a huge honour and a dream come true to be given this opportunity to compete in Formula 1 with Williams Racing. A massive thank you to every person at Williams Racing and Dorilton Motor Sports for the support they’ve given me since the day I first joined the team at the 2021 United States Grand Prix. Being a part of the Williams Driver Academy for the past year has given me an important platform to develop as a driver and prepare me for this next chapter. I’m ready and excited to be a part of this journey as the team looks to progress up the grid

    Logan Sargeant on his 2023 seat.

    To be able to give Logan the opportunity to compete in Formula 1 for Williams Racing next year after being an integral part of our Driver Academy is a proud moment for the team. Seeing a driver from the Academy getting in our F1 seat is a motivation for all the other Academy drivers and demonstrates legitimacy of the programme and the platform it provides. We are not only preparing him on track, but will be working hard over the winter off track to ensure he’s in the best possible position to start 2023.

    Sven Smeets, Sporting Director of Williams

  • O’Sullivan to PREMA

    PRMEA Racing have announced that Williams junior, Zak O’Sullivan will be joining them for his second Formula 3 season, completing their driver line-up for the 2023 campaign.

    17 year old O’Sullivan finished 11th in the Drivers’ Championship this year for Carlin with 54 points and two podiums – including a spectacular showing on home soil in Silverstone where he claimed his first F3 pole position.

    He will be partnering Mercedes Junior, Paulo Aron and Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine Champion and Ferrari backed junior, Dino Beganovic as the Italian team aim to retain their Teams’ Championship title.

    O’Sullivan’s single-seater career began in 2019 and has included plenty of success for the British race. In his first two years racing, he finished second in both the Ginetta Junior Championship and the F4 British Championship.

    In 2021, he dominated the field on his way to the GB3 Championship title, racking up seven wins, 14 podiums and five pole positions on his way to glory – earning him a promotion to F3 in 2022 and a spot in the Williams Driver Academy.

    Making his debut with PREMA at the post-season testing in Jerez, O’Sullivan finished five out of the six sessions inside the top 10 clocking in the third fastest time of Day 2’s morning session.

    I am really excited to be joining PREMA for the 2023 FIA Formula 3 season. It will be a new environment for me, but PREMA’s history says all we need to know, so hopefully, we can have a good year together. The first impressions in testing were good, and the pace was pretty strong. I was still learning the car as there are a few differences, getting to know all the team and the engineers, and learning some Italian as well!

    Zak on his new move.

    We are particularly looking forward to working with Zak. We are impressed by what he achieved in his maiden FIA F3 season and his career so far. He will bring in his experience, which is something we always really value, and he already did an outstanding job in post-season testing. That will boost our preparations for 2023, and we are confident we will see Zak thrive in our environment. We are equally delighted to work with the Williams Driver Academy, and we are grateful for the trust they have put into us.

    Team Prinicpal, Rene Rosin.

  • Sargeant to race for Williams if enough SL points

    Team Principal of Williams, Jost Capito has said that Logan Sargeant will be racing for the team, alongside Alex Albon in 2023 IF he manages to get the requisite Super Licence points in the final Formula 2 round later this season.

    Sargeant replaced Nicholas Latifi in the Williams FW44 during last Friday during free practice 1 at Austin, and in doing so became the first American driver to run in an F1 session since 2015.

    On Saturday, Capito announced that the American driver will step up to a full-time race seat with Williams if he gets his F1 super licence.

    The 21 year old currently sits in third in the 2022 Formula 2 standings, behind Theo Pourchaire and Champion Felipe Drugovich, Sargeant needs to finish fifth in the standings, or sixth provided he gains the two extra points for completing the season without receiving any penalty points, in order to acquire the 40 Super Licence points needed to make it to F1.

    Yeah, we feel he’s ready to race. under the condition that he has enough Super Licence points after Abu Dhabi, he will be our second driver next year. He’s had one season in F2, and I’m a fan of getting young drivers as quick through as possible into Formula 1 because the series below, the cars compare to Formula 1 cars… so get him in as quick as possible and find out if he’s capable of staying in Formula 1 for a long time, which we believe he is. And his first year in F2, and he won races, and he has been qualifying very strong all these years in his career – and we believe he’s absolutely ready to get into Formula 1. Yeah, I think we can have a rookie because with Alex we have a still young, but also very experienced driver. He is established so well in the team, fantastic results, he’s working well with the team – so we can put the rookie alongside him

    Jost Capito.

    FP1 Sessions-

    Logan will be borrowing Albon’s car in Mexico and Latifi’s in Abu Dhabi as well as getting a full day in the car at the Young Driver Test at Yas Marina Circuit.

    Williams also say he will be completing a number of private testing days and extensive simulator work adding to the development work he has already carried out as part of his Williams Academy role.

    I’d like to start by saying thank you again to Williams Racing and Dorilton Motor Sports for giving me the opportunity to drive on home turf yesterday (Friday) here at COTA. It was one of the most enjoyable moments of my career so far. I’m very grateful to be given further time in the FW44 at Mexico and Abu Dhabi. My aim is to make the most of every minute in the car and with the team to build on the progress I’ve made in Austin and throughout my time on the simulator at Grove. Of course, my focus is on finishing my Formula 2 season in Abu Dhabi in the best position possible, and I’m sure my time in the FW44 will keep me sharp and ready for the F2 finale.

    Logan Sargeant on the latest news.

    Logan showed a high level of understanding during his FP1 debut in Austin and provided useful feedback to help in the team’s preparations for the rest of the weekend. We are providing Logan further opportunities in Mexico and Abu Dhabi to integrate himself with the team trackside in both free practice sessions and the Young Driver Test as we work hard to support Logan in his efforts towards earning the FIA Super Licence. It’s great that as a team we can provide invaluable time for Logan to get behind the wheel of the FW44 to continue his development as a Williams Academy Driver and harness his talents. We’re looking forward to seeing how Logan progresses this season and finishes out his last race of the season in Formula 2.

    Williams Sporting Director, Sven Smeets.

  • Williams waiting on Sargeant

    With the F1 driver market hotting up, Williams look like they are set to rely on Logan Sargeant qualifying for a superlicence as the last pieces of the 2023 driver market, begins to fall into place.

    There has only been two main names that has been linked to the seat which is currently occupied by Nicolas Latifi, those being Sargeant and De Vries.

    However, De Vries has also put himself in the frame elsewhere, as he has recently met with Helmut Marko with the view of driving for Alpha Tauri next season. The Dutchman is a logical candidate as the intention is for the seat to go to someone who could one day move to Red Bull as a partner to Max Verstappen.

    If De Vries did join the RB camp, then the full focus of Williams will be on Sargeant, who has enjoyed a strong rookie year in the F2 Championship and is scheduled to drive the FW44 in FP1 at his home race in Austin.

    However, the American has to emerge from the final event in Abu Dhabi in November placed fifth or higher in the championship order to guarantee that he will get an FIA superlicence that will allow him to race next year.

    He currently lies third on 135 points, but could tumble down the order if he suffers misfortune in Abu Dhabi, the final round of the season. If Sargeant doesn’t get the required licence points then Williams will have to look elsewhere.

    There’s a good choice of drivers. It’s a good choice of young drivers, there’s still some experienced drivers there as well. And so I think it’s quite different philosophies, different strategies. In the situation of the team we can work on different strategies. We are not so much in the front that we need two very experienced drivers, so we can experiment a bit, and get young drivers in. So we’ll see what turns out to be best.

    Jost Capito, making it clear Williams is open to taking on a rookie.

  • Sargeant set for FP1 debut

    Williams have announced that their academy driver, Logan Sargeant will be making his Formula 1 race weekend debut at this years United States Grand Prix with the Formula 2 racer set to drive in the first practice session at the Circuit of The Americas.

    Sargeant, is currently competing in his first season of Formula 2 and has already impressed, notching up two wins and collecting a further two podiums to sit third in championship.

    The American, will now get his second taste of Formula 1 machinery this time on home soil in Austin having first run in a Williams at last years post season test in Abu Dhabi. He will drive Nicholas Latifi’s FW44 for the 60 minute session and will be helping the team with set up preparations, as well as getting his first Grand Prix weekend action under his belt.

    Logan joined the Williams Driver Academy,where they announced it at the last year at the US Grand Prix. The 21 year old is the first American to be on the grid.

    I’m super excited to be given this opportunity to drive my first Free Practice in Austin. To be given the chance at the US Grand Prix is something extremely special to me. A massive thank you to Williams for putting the trust and belief in me to do a good job. The goal for me will be to learn as much as possible in the new generation of cars. I’m looking forward to making the most of this experience and really enjoying it.

    Logan Sargeant on his FP1 session.

    Logan has demonstrated a great level of ability and maturity so far this season through his accomplishments both on and off the track. He’s delivered race winning performances in Formula 2 matched by his hard work during simulator sessions. It felt only right to reward these achievements with the opportunity for him to take part in a Free Practice session at Austin. We’re looking forward to seeing him get behind the wheel of the FW44 and seeing how his performance and feedback help the team’s preparations for the race in Austin.

    Sven Smeets, Williams Sporting Director.
  • F2 Silverstone – Day 1

    F2 Silverstone – Day 1

    Free Practice-

    Returning to the track where he secured back to back pole positions in Formula 3 in 2020, Logan Sargeant once again laid down the gauntlet for his rivals in the Free Practice session.

    The Carlin driver narrowly leaped ahead of Championship leader Felipe Drugovich setting a 1:40.902 to go 0.037s clear. Jack Doohan was content with third position. However, executing the perfect lap at the British circuit proved to be easier said than done.

    Dennis Hauger, had a few nervous moments of his own with a major spin at Abbey, one of the quickest corners on the track. The PREMA driver managed to save it and avoid the barriers.

    Running ground to a halt with just under 16 minutes remaining of the 45 minute session, as Calan Williams found the barriers at the exit of Copse losing the Tridents rear-end at the mid-corner bringing out the red flag.

    A queue of drivers were eager to get back out as soon as the lights went green with seven minutes to go. An improvement for Sargeant was enough for the American to hold onto the top spot as the session concluded under red flag conditions after Virtuosi’s Marino Sato came to a halt at Luffield with three minutes remaining.

    Qualifying-

    Logan Sargeant made it two from two on Friday, sealing pole position for the Feature Race after topping the earlier Free Practice session. Frederik Vesti outqualified his teammate and ended up P2 with Championship leader Felipe Drugovich securing third place ahead of Pourchaire.

    Drugovich’s first attempt was over as quickly as it started, going deep at village after locking up and subsequently running wide off track. Vesti was quickest after the initial times filtered in a 1:39.611 was the time to beat by the Dane, three-tenths quicker than Jack Doohan in P2.

    Jehan Daruvala had remained on track during the lull in action and lifted himself up to P2 and within two-tenths of Sargeant’s fastest effort. With 12 minutes remaining, drivers filtered back out onto track as the sun breached the cloud cover above the circuit.

    A yellow flag for the stranded Van Amersfoort Racing car of David Beckmann prevented drivers from setting two consecutive fast laps and with under five minutes remaining of the session, there wasn’t enough time left on the clock to relaunch an attack on pole.

  • Teams junior drivers part 2

    Not every team in F1 has a junior programme in place, due to money etc. Other teams piggy back of others e.g Haas obviously has Mick Schumacher as a driver but he is from the FDA.

    Williams-

    Jamie Chadwick has been apart of the Williams academy since 2019 and she has won two titles both being the W series, in 2019 and 2021. The 23 year old has also won the MRF Challenge in 2018-2019 as well as British GT Championship in 2015. It is unknown what she will be doing this year.

    Next we have Roy Nissany, who is going into his fourth Formula 2 season with DAMS. The Israeli-French driver has been Williams offical test driver for the 2020 and 2021 season, where he also has took part in FP1 sessions and the post-season test with the British team.

    Jack Aitken, is another Williams academy driver, he has been with the team since 2020.  Before this he was actually with the Renault young driver program until 2019 he was also their reserve driver. Aitken made his debut for the British team at the Sakhir Grand Prix where he stood in George Russell as Russell stood in for Lewis Hamilton due to COVID.

    Next up is Logan Sargeant. This year he will be moving up to Formula 2 for his first full season, he joined F2 last year for a weekend with HWA Racelab. In 2020 the American finished 3rd in the Formula 3 Championship.

    Last but most definitely not least is newbie, Zak O’Sullivan, the Brit is moving up to Formula 3 this year after winning the GB3 Championship and has just been awarded the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award for 2021.

    Red Bull-

    Juri Vips, has been apart of the Red Bull junior programme since 2018. In 2020 he joined Formula 2 to replace injured DAMS driver, Sean Gelael. In 2021 he then done his first full campaign with HiTech Grand Prix, he will be returning to Formula 2 this year with the same team for his second season. Also in 2020 he served as the Red Bull and Alpha Tauri reserve at the Turkish, Bahrain, Sakhir and Abu Dhabi GP’s. He has took part in two end of season young driver test both being with Red Bull in 2020 and 2021.

    Jonny Edgar, is defintley a name to remeber and one I have mentioned before. His been with the junior team for quite some time and its understandable why his stayed their for so long. He won the ADAC Formula 4 Championship, and is about to go into his 2nd season of Formula 3 Championship.

    Dennis Hauger, the popular Norwegian who has just won the Formula 3 Championship and now going on to battle the Formula 2 Championship with Prema. Since being with the junior team he has also won the Italian F4 Championship.

    Liam Lawson, is going into his second season in Formula 2 after switching out HiTech for Carlin. The popular Kiwi never does things in half, last year he competed in DTM where he finished 2nd overall. In 2020 he competed in F3 where he finished 5th overall, as well as Toyota Racing Series where he finished 2nd.

    Jehan Daruvala is reuniting with Prema this season to take on his 3rd season of Formula 2 last season saw him finish 7th overall with Carlin. He also competed in F3 Asian Championship with Mumbai Falcons India Racing, he finished 3rd overall, with 3 wins, 3 poles, and 8 podiums.

    Jak Crawford, has been with the junior team since 2020 and in that year he competed in ADAC Formula 4 where he finished 2nd overall and Italian F4 finishing 6th. 2021 saw him compete in his rookie campaign in Formula 3 and Euroformula Open and in the latter he finished 3rd overall. This year he is competing in his second season in Formula 3 but has made the switch to Prema.

    At the beginning of last year, Ayumu Iwasa was announced as a Red Bull junior. He competed in Formula 3 where he finished 12th overall as well as F3 Asian Championship where he finished 3rd. This year will see him step up to Formula 2 for his rookie season.

    Next up, we have two newbies who have joined the programme this year, Isack Hadjar who will be competing in Formula 3 for his rookie campaign and Yuto Nomura who will be competing in French F4.

    Ferrari-

    Starting off with Callum Ilott, he technically isn’t with the Ferrari Driver Academy this year but had a 4 year stint with the Italian team from 2017 to 2021. Due to him being in IndyCar this year, the Academy does not support that series.

    Robert Shwartzman at the moment is not competing in a series this year yet, after he finished runner up to Oscar Piastri in Formula 2 last year. He will be Scuderia Ferrari’s Test Driver for the upcoming season.

    Mick Schumacher, won the Formula 2 Championship in 2020, and now is going into his second season as a Formula One driver with Haas.

    Arthur Leclerc is next up on the list, the Monagasque is going into his second season in Formula 3, in hopes to fight for the title. He is also currently competing in the Formula Regional Asian Championship which he is currently leading.

    Dino Beganovic, will be going on to his third season in single seaters, where he is currently competing in Formula Regional Asian Championship and also Formula Regional European Champion.

    James Wharton, has only been with the FDA for a year, he continued to race in karts in 2021 before training in Formula 4 single-seaters. Which goes on to what he will be doing this year, he will be competing in Formula 4 UAE Championship and Italian F4 Championship.

    Maya Weug, is the first female driver to join the FDA. In 2021 she stepped up to Italian F4 Championship, she will be competing in the same series again this year.

    Oliver Bearman, is new to the FDA after winning both Italian F4 Championship and ADAC Formula 4 Championships in 2021. This year will see him step up to the Formula 3 Championship for his rookie season.

    Rafael Camara is another newbie to the FDA, he will be competing in Formula 4 UAE Championship and Italian F4 Championship. Laura Camps Torras, is new to the Italian team as well, at the moment she has only raced in karts and will continue to do this year. However, she will take part in several tests at the wheel of a Formula 4 car to learn about single seaters in preparation for a debut.

    Alpine-

    Christian Lundgaard, has been apart of the Alpine academy since 2017. Since being with them he secured the SMP F4 Championship and F4 Spanish Championship. This year will see him race in IndyCar.

    Caio Collet, was racing in Formula 3 last season. It is yet to be announced in what he will be doing this year he may return to F3 for a second season.

    Oscar Piastri, the back to back to back champion, winning the Formula Renault Eurocup, Formula 3 Championship and Formula 2 Championship in a row. This year will see him take a back seat and officially be Alpine’s reserve driver for 2022.

    Victor Martins, will be going into his fourth year with the academy. Last year saw him compete in Formula 3 where he finished 5th overall, it is still undecided what he is doing this year aswell.