(Motorsport-Total.com) – Williams junior Luke Browning has survived a spectacular crash during Japanese Super Formula testing in Suzuka uninjured. The Briton, who finished fourth overall in Formula 2 last year, lost control of his vehicle in pouring rain at the fast 130R corner and flew over the barrier.
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Browning is currently taking part in testing for the championship, in which he will compete for the Kondo team. On a rainy Wednesday, he had to survive a huge scare: in the 130R, his car suddenly aquaplaned and spun.
The 24-year-old skidded across the gravel trap and slammed into the barrier before his car took off and flew over the track boundary. His car only came to rest upside down behind it, so Browning needed the help of track marshals to get out of the car – fortunately, he escaped without injury.
“It was a bit of an unfortunate accident,” Browning said afterwards. “I simply had aquaplaning and was just a passenger after that. In hindsight, it would have been better to come into the pits when the rain got heavier. These are lessons you learn; here it’s all about learning, and today was a lesson I will take with me in my career.”
He himself confirms: “I’m completely fine, no pain. Fortunately, I landed in the hay and not in the barriers, so everything is fine. The HANS system is fantastic – I guess it saved my neck.”
The accident reminds Formula 1 fans a little of 2002, when the then Toyota driver Allan McNish also crashed in the fast left-hander during qualifying – albeit in the dry – and his car also came to a halt behind the track boundary. His Toyota had even broken through the guardrails.
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McNish escaped with minor injuries at the time, but was unable to take part in the season finale – to this day, the Scot has not taken part in another Formula 1 race.
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In December, former Alpine driver Jack Doohan also made headlines with accidents during the Super Formula test: the Australian had managed the feat of crashing at the same spot on three consecutive days.
An engagement in the Japanese series did not materialize as a result, so he will serve as a reserve driver for Haas in 2026.
It’s different for Browning: he will compete in Super Formula in 2026 and try to recommend himself for Formula 1. The current champion is the Red Bull-backed Japanese driver Ayumu Iwasa.
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