Williams has snapped up Frenchman Victor Martins to its academy roster after he departed from Formula 1 rivals Alpine.
Martins, 23, is currently contesting his third season in the FIA Formula 2 World Championship with ART Grand Prix.
He graduated to the series in 2023 as the reigning FIA F3 World Champion, and put in a strong rookie of the year showing as part of the Alpine academy.
However, his second season didn’t see him in contention for the Drivers’ title, and he parted ways with Alpine at the end of 2024.
That has left the door open for Williams to snap Martins up and he joins F2 Hitech driver Luke Browning in the Grove-based outfit’s academy.
Both Martins and Browning will be conducting TPC (Testing of Previous Car) mileage in the 2023 Williams FW45 at Monza this weekend.
Martins relishing new journey with Williams
“I’m super happy to be joining the Williams Racing Driver Academy! 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,” Martins said.
“Williams is an iconic team with an incredible history, and I’m confident this is the best place to be to help me achieve my goals.
“This year, I’ll put all my focus into winning the Formula 2 Drivers’ Championship with ART Grand Prix and maximising 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.”
Williams Sporting Director Sven Smeets added: “We’re thrilled to welcome Victor to the Williams Racing Driver Academy.
“He has repeatedly demonstrated that he is a talented driver who is capable of winning championships.
“We will continue to support Victor’s development on and off the track as part of the Academy and look forward to working with him in 2025.”
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