F1 reserve driver walks away from mammoth crash during testing event

Williams Formula 1 reserve driver Luke Browning has walked away from a horrific accident in Suzuka.

The British driver was testing at the Japanese Grand Prix race circuit in wet conditions ahead of racing in Super Formula this season.

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Miraculously, Browning was able to walk away from the crash unscathed despite the car coming to a stop upside down.

It appeared the 24-year-old lost grip on the slippery surface and headed towards the wall.

The car was launched in the air due to impact and landed on the grass behind the wall.

Who is Luke Browning?

The Brit will serve as a backup to Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz for the upcoming Formula 1 season for Williams F1 team.

He will compete in a full season of the Super Formula championship this year with Toyota.

It means he will not be available for the F1 team for the Canadian, Belgian, Singapore and Las Vegas Grand Prixs due to calendar clashes.

The driver finished fourth in his rookie Formula 2 season last year, which was complimented by a victory in the feature race at the Italian Grand Prix.

Browning has participated in practice session for the British F1 team, including the Abu-Dhabi post-season test.

After his promotion as reserve driver for the F1 team, he said: “I’m incredibly excited to be stepping up as Reserve Driver with Atlassian Williams F1 Team this year.

“The Academy has been instrumental in my growth, supporting me through both Formula 3 and Formula 2 while giving me the chance to get up to speed with modern F1 machinery through testing.

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“I look forward to working alongside Alex and Carlos to drive the team forward in this new era for Formula 1.

“I’m also happy to confirm that 2026 will be my rookie season in Super Formula. This will be a completely new challenge, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in.

“As my next step up towards a full-time Formula 1 seat, this gives me another chance to show how I’ve developed on track and continue to build my skills in a new environment and culture.”

What is Super Formula?

Super Formula is considered to be the pinnacle of single-seater racing in Asia.

The only faster racing category than Super Formula is Formula 1, reflecting its true test for aspiring F1 drivers.

The competition began in 1973, with two different engines being used in the competition, Honda or Toyota.

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Browning will be competing with the Toyota-powered Kondo Racing team.

F1 reserve drivers chances of receiving a call up are not always promised however the two current Williams drivers have had to be replaced before.

Carlos Sainz was substituted for the young British driver Oliver Bearman in 2024 before he became a full-time F1 driver.

This came after the ex-Ferrari driver had emergency appendix surgery in Saudi Arabia during the race weekend.

The Spaniard did return the following race in Australia and won the Grand Prix for the Italian team after a miraculous recovery.

Bearman also covered in Azerbaijan, this time for Haas’ Kevin Magnussen after he received a race ban from accumulating 12 penalty points.

The young Brit made his third appearance at the Brazilian Grand Prix due to an illness for the Dane.

He became the first driver to score points for two different Formula 1 teams in the same season.

Additionally, Alex Albon has also needed a reserve driver to cover him at the Italian Grand Prix in 2022.

Dutch driver Nyck de Vries stood in, which later resulted in him also receiving a full-time position.