Luke Browning won the F4 British Championship in 2020, the GB3 Championship in 2023, and the Macau Grand Prix in 2023, but as the Atlassian Williams team’s first reserve driver for Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, the 24-year-old must balance his own competitive seasons with the additional demands of supporting the F1 team. In this exclusive chat with Muscle & Fitness, the Chelsea, England, born athlete explains how he first fell in love with fast moving vehicles, and why he still relies on two wheels to stay in shape.
“Everything was a race since I was four or five years old,” says Browning, who notes that his competitive streak was firmly instilled as a youngster, because his dad never let him win for the sake of appeasement. “My dad is the most competitive man in the world, and he never let me win anything, growing up,” he explains, sharing that his fortunes would change by the time the youngster reached his teens, because Browning had developed a skill for sprinting past his pops.
Initially, he took up motocross as a form of competitive racing, but after an accident forced Browning off his bike, mother soon stepped in. “My mum said, ‘get that bike sold,’ and the bike was sold within a week,” he recalls. Now forced to look for a safer sport to dive into, the call of the race was never far away. “I chose the sport that was arguably the most difficult to get into, and the most expensive,” he says of his switch to four wheels. “That want and desire, to be the best, was something that really took hold in motorsport.”
Indeed, Luke Browning is certainly one of the most promising stars in motorsport. As a junior saloon driver, he won a “Teen Racer of the Year” award in 2016 and has kept his foot firmly down ever since. In 2022, he was given the Aston Martin Autosport British Racing Driver’s Club award that recognizes young talent, and in 2023 became a member of the Atlassian Williams Driver Academy, where Browning not only races his own seasons, such as his recent foray into Super Formula, but also serves as a reserve to Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz in Formula One. “They’ve really looked after me and nurtured me,” explains Browning of his dream team. But while this racer may be young, Browning certainly has a lot of experience, and explains that he must stay ready for the day that he is called upon, to turn practice into reality on the F1 course.
How Luke Browning Keeps His Fitness Prepped for Pole Position
Neck and Shoulder Stability Workouts
The British racer explains that sitting upright in a fast, vibrating, vehicle while wearing a heavy helmet can play havoc on the neck. So, he undertakes workouts that are designed to provide strong posture without going too heavy. “There are a lot of muscles in the neck,” says Browning. “So, for me, I wouldn’t do high loads.” Instead, the racer reps for endurance by utilizing movements that build the rotator cuff in the shoulder, and practices long holds on cable extensions to improve his rotation at the end of the load. Other exercises designed to strengthen the core, neck, and shoulders include the cable or banded Pallof press or the dumbbell/kettlebell shoulder press, once again concentrating on time under tension, rather than excessive weights that could risk injury.
Such training leads to real-life results on the race-course notes Browning, explaining that functional workouts not only strengthen his neck and shoulders, but also accelerate his recovery times when taking sharp corners, helping him to clear the lactic acid away from his neck muscles quicker than if he didn’t put the work in.
Cycling
Browning may have sold the motorbike, but his bicycle still provides a prime way to stay in peak condition when riding with two wheels, especially with his head tucked between his shoulders and elbows in rather than flaring out. “If you’re sat in an aero position for a long time, like an hour, or an hour and a half, this builds up massive endurance down the back of your neck,” explains the Atlassian Williams team member.
Cycling also offers a chance to find mental clarity. “I like to get out,” says Browning. “It’s a great way for me to turn my mind off things, and it’s also just great for the cardiovascular base.”
Kart Racing
“We do quite a lot of karting,” adds Browning, who shares that he wears a heavier helmet to further strengthen his neck and shoulders. “Then we drive around and do as many laps as we can before we feel tired,” he tells M&F.
Of course, hydration is also key for this athlete, who explains that drivers undertake a process of pre-loading electrolytes well ahead of a race, to make sure that they are in the best possible condition when getting inside the car. This is essential, says the young driver, who explains that his concentration can last much longer when he has his minerals and fluids in good check.
With such a bright future ahead, Luke Browning understands that consistency is critical to a successful career behind the wheel, and this means putting in the hard work on days when motivation levels are low. “I don’t particularly enjoy having to maintain this sort of stuff to be here,” explains Browning. “But what I do enjoy is the feeling, when I get in the car, that I’m just as fit as anyone else, if not fitter, and therefore when I get to the end of the race, I’m going to be able to perform and maybe others aren’t, and that’s probably what motivates me.”
With Luke Browning now announced as making his second official practice session at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix in Monza, in Alex Albon’s FW48 Formula One car no less, this driver’s consistency continues to pay off.
