F1 reserve driver involved in terrifying 360-degree crash as update provided

Williams reserve driver Luke Browning was involved in a terrifying crash during a Super Formula test session.

Browning, who finished fourth in the Formula 2 championship last season, has driven in F1 free practice sessions for Williams on four occasions.

For 2026, the 22-year-old has made the step up from F2 to Super Formula, which the top level of single-seater motorsport in Japan.

Browning is driving for Kondo Racing, a Shizuoka-based team which won the Super Formula Teams' title for the first and only time in 2018.

On the first day of pre-season testing, however, the Englishman suffered a horror crash when he lost control out of the infamous 130R corner in wet conditions.

The car spun out and hit the tyre barriers, with the force enough to flip the car up into air and into the catch fencing.

It then landed on its front axel, appearing to cause extensive G-forces on Browning's neck, before then landing back on the circuit.

Fortunately, Browning emerged from the huge accident unscathed.

According to Japan Racing Insider, Browning was able to walk out of the car unaided, and the team hope to have his car repaired in time for him to compete in day two of testing on Thursday.

He went on to tell reporters: "I'm completely fine - no pain.

"Luckily I landed on the hay and didn't hit the barriers, so all good. The HANS device is fantastic - it saved my neck, I would have thought."

Browning added: "It was a bit of an unfortunate crash. I just aquaplaned, and then I was a passenger.

"In hindsight, it would have been better to pit when the rain started to come down harder.

"These are lessons you learn. It's all about learning over here, and today was a lesson that I'll take forward in my career."

By entering Super Formula, Browning will hope to follow in the footsteps of Ralf Schumacher, Pedro de la Rosa and Ralph Firman in winning the Drivers' Championship before then entering Formula 1.

Kazuki Nakajima, Takuma Sato, Kamui Kobayashi and Vitantonio Liuzzi are among the other drivers to have competed in Super Formula before or after securing full-time F1 drives.

Pato O'Ward, Felix Rosenqvist and Alex Palou all raced in the series before moving over to IndyCar, the top single-seater series in the United States.

And Alpine driver Pierre Gasly ran the 2017 Super Formula season, finishing in second place in the Drivers' Championship.