Victor Martins to drive for Williams in Barcelona FP1
Victor Martins will drive in FP1 for Williams in Barcelona. Image: XPB Images
The Frenchman is currently in his third Formula 2 season with ART Grand Prix and sits eighth in the standings, having claimed pole position in Melbourne and a podium finish in the Saudi Arabia Feature Race.
This comes off the back of two solid F2 seasons, with Martins being crowned F2’s top rookie in 2023 and securing five podiums in 2024, including a victory in the Barcelona Sprint Race.
In 2022, Martins clinched the Formula 3 championship in a tight title battle that went down to the final round at Monza. That season featured now-F1 drivers Oliver Bearman, Isack Hadjar, and Franco Colapinto.
Martins said he was thrilled to be making his first F1 weekend appearance with the team.
“It will be an incredible experience to drive for the team,” he said.
“I’m working hard to prepare as much as possible to maximise my time in the car and make it a valuable session for myself and the team.
“I’m hugely grateful to everyone at Atlassian Williams Racing for giving me this opportunity and I’m looking forward to enjoying every second of it!”
Williams Sporting Director Sven Smeets said the session marked a proud moment for the team and a key step in Martins’ development.
“He continues to demonstrate that he is a talented driver, and this session is an important step forward in his career as part of the Academy,” Smeets said.
“His participation in our TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) program and simulator work in Grove have prepared him well and we look forward to seeing him in the garage this weekend.”
Ahead of his FP1 debut, Martins took part in the TPC programme earlier this year at Monza, driving the 2023 FW45 alongside fellow Williams Academy driver Luke Browning.
Martins’ appearance on Friday will fulfil Williams’ second of four mandated rookie driver sessions for the 2025 season, following Browning’s outing in FP1 at Bahrain.