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Victor Martins Joins Williams Racing Driver Academy After Alpine Departure

Victor Martins has been announced as the latest addition to the Williams Racing Driver Academy following his recent departure from Alpine’s program. This transition marks an important step in Martins’ career as he seeks to solidify his place in the competitive world of motorsport.

Martins had previously been associated with the Alpine program starting from 2018-2019 and again from 2021-2024, with a brief one-year pause where he narrowly lost the 2019 Formula Renault Eurocup title to Oscar Piastri. Although he eventually clinched the FR Eurocup title and became the 2022 Formula 3 champion, his 2023 Formula 2 season saw him struggle, finishing in seventh position amidst a series of unfortunate circumstances and unnecessary mistakes on the track.

Following his exit from Alpine, Martins expressed his thoughts candidly: “Let’s say my goal and their goal were not on the same line,” indicating a divergence in vision between him and the Alpine management.

At Williams, Martins will receive intensive “training and guidance” aimed at enhancing his skills both on and off the racetrack. He is also set to get behind the wheel of the FW45 car from the 2023 F1 season as early as this weekend at Monza, alongside fellow junior driver Luke Browning.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Victor to the Williams Racing Driver Academy,” said sporting director Sven Smeets. He emphasized Martins’ evident talent and his potential for winning championships. Smeets assured that the Academy would support Martins’ ongoing development as he looks towards the 2025 season.

Martins reflected positively on his new opportunity, stating, “This is a new chapter for me, but my goal remains the same – to push myself to the limit, both as a person and as a racing driver, and to make it to Formula 1.” He expressed confidence in Williams as an “iconic team” with a rich history, viewing it as the ideal environment to pursue his ambitions.

Martins also elaborated on his immediate objectives: “This year, I’ll put all my focus into winning the Formula 2 drivers’ championship with ART Grand Prix and maximizing this opportunity with the Driver Academy both on and off the track. I look forward to working with everyone at Williams as we embark on this new journey together.”

However, the road to Formula 1 poses challenges for Martins, especially given the influx of talented rookies in the sport, which complicates prospects for third-year Formula 2 drivers.

Notably, Williams has a history of nurturing young talent into Formula 1, having previously promoted drivers such as Lance Stroll, Nicholas Latifi, Jack Aitken, Logan Sargeant, and Franco Colapinto, some of whom enjoyed varying degrees of success in their F1 careers.

As Victor Martins embarks on this new phase with Williams, the motorsport community will be keenly watching his progress in both the F2 championship and his development as a future Formula 1 hopeful.

In this article:

• Ben Vinel
• Formula 1
• FIA F2
• Victor Martins
• Williams
• Alpine

Source
www.autosport.com