By Balazs Szabo on February 22, 2025
Williams Racing has proudly announced its Driver Academy lineup for the 2025 season, featuring eight promising drivers who will showcase their skills across five different racing series.
Luke Browning is making headlines after his impressive outing with Williams in Abu Dhabi, where he got behind the wheel of the FW46 during Free Practice. This season, he’ll be advancing to a full-time role in FIA Formula 2, racing with Hitech GP. Luke’s stint in Formula 3 last year was nothing short of spectacular, snagging two Feature Race victories in Bahrain and Austria. He then capped off the season with a strong showing in F2, where he scored points right out of the gate.
Lia Block is set to continue her association with the team for another season. She will be competing in the F1 Academy with ART Grand Prix. Lia’s debut in open-wheel racing was marked by consistent improvement, most notably achieving two fourth-place finishes at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Alessandro Giusti is stepping up his game as he moves to FIA Formula 3 with MP Motorsport. After a solid fourth-place finish in last year’s Formula Regional European Championship, which included triumphs at Imola and Paul Ricard, along with five podiums, he’s poised for another strong season in 2025.
Meanwhile, Oleksandr Bondarev, whose karting and Formula 4 performances have been turning heads, is set to join PREMA Racing for the Italian and UAE F4 series. Having bagged the CIK-FIA European Champion OKJ title in 2023 and the WSK Champions Cup in 2024, he’s all set to take on the challenge of Italian F4.
In the realm of karting, Williams is nurturing the potential of four young talents. Sara Matsui, who successfully transitioned from OKNJ to OKN last year, will compete in the OK class this season.
Adding fresh energy to the Academy are new recruits Dean Hoogendoorn and Will Green, who are gearing up for competition in the OKJ series. Lucas Palacio will make his mark in the OKJ-N class.
Reflecting on the Academy’s roster, Sven Smeets, Williams Racing’s sporting director, expressed his enthusiasm: “Announcing our Williams Racing Driver Academy lineup is always a thrilling moment. We’re incredibly proud of the talent and potential inherent in each of our drivers. The Academy is a testament to our dedication to shaping the future of motorsport, and we are committed to supporting these drivers both on and off the track. Watching their progress this season will be exciting for all of us.”
Academy Roster:
– Luke Browning (UK, age 22) – F2, Hitech GP
– Lia Block (USA, age 18) – F1 Academy, ART Grand Prix
– Alessandro Giusti (France, age 18) – F3, MP Motorsport
– Oleksandr Bondarev (Ukraine, age 15) – Italian and UAE F4, PREMA
– Sara Matsui (Japan, age 14) – OK karting
– Dean Hoogendoorn (Netherlands, age 12) – OKJ karting
– Will Green (UK, age 11) – OKJ karting
– Lucas Palacio (USA, age 11) – OKJ-N karting
