Racing driver talent Victor Martins signed a new contract a few weeks after his surprising end to Formula 1 team Alpine. The Frenchman wants to make it into the premier class via Williams.
Williams instead of alpine: Victor Martins strengthens the Williams youth academy. The Formula 1 racing team officially announced this on Monday afternoon.
“I am super happy to come to the Driver Academy of Williams Racing,” the 23-year-old is quoted in the official announcement of the British. “This is a new chapter for me, but my goal remains the same: I want to push myself to the limit, both as a driver and as a person, and make it into Formula 1.”
He was “convinced” that the signature at the traditional racing team is exactly the right step to make it to the top. He is looking forward to “leaving a new trip at Williams”.
This year, however, his focus is on winning the driver’s title in Formula 2 with Art Grand Prix.
Surprising ends at Alpine
Martins has been sitting in the cockpit for Art Grand Prix for several years. In the 2022 season, he won the driver’s title in Formula 3 with the team. Then he moved into Formula 2, where he took five and seven places in the past two years. According to Luke Browning (Hitech GP), the Frenchman is now the second driver from the Williams Academy, who drives in Formula 2.
Last year, Franco Colapinto impressively demonstrated that the path through Williams’ junior team can lead to Formula 1. The Argentinian is now a reserve driver at Alpine.
The change was preceded by Victor Martins’ surprising end to the French. The collaboration ended shortly before the start of the season.
“We go separate ways,” he then explained in a media round: “We didn’t really talk about it, because both sides did not want to go on. Ultimately, their and my goals did not match, and then it is better to separate.” For Alpine, he had given his test debut in Formula 1 in 2023.