Williams Driver Academy

Last updated

Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Williams Racing Driver Academy
Williams Racing Driver Academy Logo.png
Founded2016;9 years ago (2016) (as Williams Young Driver Programme)
Base Grove, Oxfordshire, England
Team principal(s) James Vowles
Current driversFIA Formula 2
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Luke Browning
FIA Formula 3
Flag of France.svg Alessandro Giusti
Italian F4 Championship
Flag of Ukraine.svg Oleksandr Bondarev
F1 Academy
Flag of the United States.svg Lia Block
Karting
Flag of Japan.svg Sara Matsui
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Dean Hoogendoorn
Flag of the United States.svg Lucas Palacio
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Will Green

The Williams Racing Driver Academy, formerly known as the Williams Young Driver Programme, is a driver development programme by Formula One team Williams. It is meant to promote talent in different racing series by helping them with funds, with the hope of finding drivers who will race for the team in the future. Notable graduates of the scheme are Lance Stroll, Nicholas Latifi, Jack Aitken, Logan Sargeant and Franco Colapinto; who all made their F1 debuts with Williams.

Contents

Current drivers

DriverBeganCurrent seriesTitles as academy member
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Luke Browning [1] 2023 FIA Formula 2 Championship FIA F3 World Cup ( 2023 )
Flag of Ukraine.svg Oleksandr Bondarev [2] 2023 F4 Middle East Championship
Italian F4 Championship 		None as Williams Driver Academy member
Flag of the United States.svg Lia Block [3] 2023 Eurocup-4 Spanish Winter Championship
F1 Academy 		None as Williams Driver Academy member
Flag of France.svg Alessandro Giusti [4] 2024 FIA Formula 3 Championship None as Williams Driver Academy member
Flag of Japan.svg Sara Matsui [4] 2024Karting (OKJ)None as Williams Driver Academy member
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Dean Hoogendoorn [5] 2024Karting (OKJ)None as Williams Driver Academy member
Flag of the United States.svg Lucas Palacio [6] 2024KartingNone as Williams Driver Academy member
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Will Green [7] 2024KartingNone as Williams Driver Academy member

Graduates to Formula 1

This list contains the drivers that have graduated to Formula 1 with Williams support. Therefore, drivers who have had support in the past and entered Formula 1 through other means are not included.

DriverAcademy experienceF1 experience with WilliamsF1 experience with other teams
YearsFormer series
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Lance Stroll 2016 FIA Formula 3 European Championship (2016) 2017–2018 Racing Point (2019–2020)
Aston Martin (2021–)
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Nicholas Latifi 2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship (2019) 2020–2022 —
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jack Aitken [8] 2020–2021 FIA Formula 2 Championship (2020–2021)
GT World Challenge Europe (2021)		 2020 —
Flag of the United States.svg Logan Sargeant 2021–2022 FIA Formula 2 Championship (2022) 2023–2024 —
Flag of Argentina.svg Franco Colapinto [9] 2023–2024 FIA Formula 3 Championship (2023)
FIA Formula 2 Championship (2023–2024)		 2024 —

Former drivers

DriverYearsSeries competedF1 Team(s)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oliver Rowland [10] 2018 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup (2018)
Formula E (2018–19)		None
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jamie Chadwick [11] [12] 2019–2023 W Series ( 2019 , 2021 – 2022 )
Formula Regional European Championship (2020)
Indy NXT (2023)		None
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Dan Ticktum [13] [14] 2020–2021 FIA Formula 2 Championship (2020–2021)None
Flag of Israel.svg Roy Nissany [15] 2020–2022 FIA Formula 2 Championship (2020–2022)
F3 Asian Championship (2021)		None
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oliver Gray 2022–2023 F4 British Championship (2022)
FIA Formula 3 Championship (2023)		None
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Zak O'Sullivan [16] 2022–2024 FIA Formula 3 Championship (2022–2023)
FIA Formula 2 Championship (2024)		None

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Luke Browning joins the Williams Racing Driver Academy".
  2. ↑ "Oleksandr Bondarev joins the Williams Racing Driver Academy".
  3. ↑ "Lia Block to drive for Williams Racing in F1 Academy". Williams Racing. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Alessandro Giusti and Sara Matsui join the Williams Racing Driver Academy". Williams Racing. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "Dean Hoogendoorn joins Williams Racing Driver Academy". Williams Racing. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  6. ↑ "Karting prodigy Lucas Palacio joins Williams Racing Driver Academy". Williams Racing. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  7. ↑ "British Karting Star Will Green Joins Williams Racing Driver Academy". Williams Racing. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  8. ↑ Barretto, Lawrence (8 April 2020). "The Williams Driver Academy: A pursuit of talent with a commercial upside". F1 - The Official Home of Formula 1® Racing. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  9. ↑ "Franco Colapinto joins Williams Racing Driver Academy". Williams Racing. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  10. ↑ "Oliver Rowland gets Williams Formula 1 role for 2018". www.autosport.com. 23 February 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  11. ↑ "Jamie Chadwick joins Williams Racing Driver Academy". Williams F1. 20 May 2019. Archived from the original on 11 June 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  12. ↑ "Jamie Chadwick continues in the Williams Racing Driver Academy". www.williamsf1.com. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  13. ↑ "Dan Ticktum joins Williams Racing Driver Academy". Williams F1. 17 December 2019. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  14. ↑ "Williams release development driver Dan Ticktum | Formula 1®". www.formula1.com. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  15. ↑ "Roy Nissany is confirmed as Official Test Driver". Williams F1. 15 January 2020. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  16. ↑ "British teen racer Zak O'Sullivan joins Williams Driver Academy | Formula 1®". www.formula1.com. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
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