Luke Browning has another FP1 chance in Abu Dhabi GP with Williams, as Jack Aitken secures Cadillac Team JOTA seat in WEC.
Atlassian Williams Racing is pleased to share that Williams Racing Academy Driver Luke Browning will drive Alex Albon’s FW47 in the first free practice session at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and will participate in the end-of-season Young Driver Test. Luke joined the Williams Racing Driver Academy in April 2023 following his stand-out 2022 season where he secured the GB3 Championship and won the 2022 Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award. Since joining the Academy he has continued this upward trajectory, winning the Macau Grand Prix in 2023, also taking pole position and the fastest lap, and finishing the 2024 FIA Formula 3 season in third with two race wins and a podium in Monaco.
As part of the Williams Racing Driver Academy’s proud tradition of giving young talent a path into F1, Luke has regularly driven in the Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) and simulator programmes with the aim of preparing him for the future. He has balanced this with a successful FIA Formula 2 campaign, currently occupying third position in the standings and going into the final two races of the season in a fierce battle for the title.
Luke Browning: “It’s going to be an unforgettable weekend in Abu Dhabi fighting for the Formula 2 title while getting back behind the wheel of the FW47, and it’s a challenge I’m going to relish. The Young Driver Test will give me a final opportunity to help the team prepare for 2026 and I’m looking forward to being part of a Formula 1 weekend for the last time this season. Thank you to everyone at the Driver Academy and Williams for the trust once again.”
Sven Smeets, Sporting Director, Atlassian Williams Racing: “Luke’s development continues to impress us, and we are looking forward to closing the season with him behind the wheel of the FW47. We have an incredibly talented group of drivers in the Williams Racing Driver Academy, and it is important for us to give them the opportunity to progress as they move up the ladder. These final sessions of the season will give Luke another valuable chance to learn from Alex and Carlos, the wider team, and further embed with our trackside operation as he looks towards a bright future.”
Jack Aitken, Cadillac –
Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA has finalised its line-up for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship with the recruitment of a driver who has already established himself as a leading light in North America’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Former Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button’s retirement from professional motorsport following last weekend’s season-closing Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain left a seat free in the #38 Cadillac V-Series.R Hypercar alongside Earl Bamber and Sébastien Bourdais. That vacancy has now been filled by fellow Brit Jack Aitken.
The 30-year-old has registered three victories and two pole positions in 22 IMSA races with Cadillac, winning in only his second outing at Sebring in 2023. He subsequently triumphed in the final two rounds of the recently-concluded 2025 campaign at Indianapolis and Road Atlanta to secure the runner-up spot in the overall Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) standings and the same result in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup with Bamber and Frederik Vesti. Similarly a multiple race-winner in the FIA Formula 2 Championship and Germany’s DTM touring car series, Aitken has entered the latest four editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, posting the fastest Hypercar lap recorded to-date around the Circuit de la Sarthe in the Hyperpole 1 session earlier this year.
Last Sunday, he participated in the FIA WEC Rookie Test in Bahrain. “I’m very appreciative that Cadillac has that trust and is willing to give me this opportunity,” acknowledged the London-born racer, who will simultaneously continue to partner Bamber at Action Express Racing in IMSA competition in 2026. “It’s very exciting because I’ve never raced in FIA WEC and I’ve never raced with JOTA, even though we’ve come close a couple of times and have had a relationship that is now coming to fruition. They have fantastic people – from the drivers to the staff – and it’s a team that has achieved success in FIA WEC. I’m excited to take what I’ve learned in IMSA and bring that across to try to push things forward.”
“We’re delighted to welcome Jack on-board,” echoed JOTA Sport Director and Founder, David Clark. “We’ve been following his progress closely this year and have been really impressed by his raw pace and consistency – both essential ingredients for success in the Hypercar category. As an existing member of the wider Cadillac Racing family, Jack is a natural fit for us. He already understands the culture, the people and the expectations within the Cadillac ecosystem. Beyond his performance on-track, Jack’s calm personality and team-first attitude make him an excellent addition to our driver line-up. We never take team chemistry for granted – six individual stars won’t win endurance races, but six drivers who work as one can. Everything we’ve seen from Jack so far shows he embodies that spirit, and we can’t wait to see what he accomplishes with the team next season.”
The sister #12 V-Series.R will continue to be piloted by the seasoned line-up of Alex Lynn, Norman Nato and Will Stevens – the only crew to score points in every FIA WEC race in 2025 en route to finishing fifth in the Drivers’ classification. Along the way, they clinched the American brand’s maiden victory at Interlagos – spearheading a Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA one-two – and no fewer than three pole positions, leading an historic front row lockout on the grid at Le Mans. Cadillac wound up fourth in the Manufacturers’ classification at the end of its third campaign in the championship – its first in partnership with British outfit JOTA – and with its blend of continuity and fresh blood, the marque is optimistic of taking a further step forward next year.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Jack Aitken to the Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA driver line-up,” commented Cadillac Racing Programme Manager, Keely Bosn. “He brings exceptional speed, technical insight and a fierce competitive spirit that perfectly complements the team. Our 2026 roster truly reflects strength-in-depth. With drivers competing across both IMSA and WEC, we’re building a unified programme that drives shared performance and development. I’m genuinely excited about the talent and energy this line-up brings to the season ahead.”
Other news –
MotoGP extends deal with Buriram for Thai GP: https://www.motogp.com/en/news/2025/11/12/thailand-confirmed-on-motogp-calendar-until-2031-inclusive/821383
[The story is as per press release]
