Victor Martins Set for Thrilling F1 Debut at Spanish GP

Victor Martins will make his Formula 1 weekend debut at the Spanish Grand Prix after Williams confirmed he will take part in Free Practice 1 in Barcelona. The 23-year-old French driver will step into Alex Albon’s FW47 for the opening session of the race weekend, filling one of the mandatory slots for rookie drivers.

Martins, who won the FIA Formula 3 championship in 2022, is currently racing in FIA Formula 2 for ART. His best result in the 2025 season so far is a third-place finish in the Saudi Arabian feature race.

This will be Martins’ first official outing in a Formula 1 weekend, although he has already tested F1 machinery. He drove the FW45 during a private session at Monza earlier this year, and last season he completed a test for Alpine.

Martins joined the Williams Academy in March and has since been working on the team’s simulator and technical programmes at Grove. In recent years, Williams has focused on giving young drivers track time during practice sessions.

Martins becomes the second Williams Academy driver to participate in FP1 this season, after Luke Browning drove Carlos Sainz’s car in Bahrain. With two of the four required rookie sessions now filled, both Albon and Sainz will each need to step aside for one more practice session before the year ends.

Martins shared his excitement over the announcement. He said, “I’m super happy to be taking the wheel of the FW47 for the first time in Barcelona. It will be an incredible experience to drive for the team.

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 Williams Racing for giving me this opportunity and I’m looking forward to enjoying every second of it!”

Williams Sporting Director Sven Smeets highlighted Martins’ steady improvement since joining the academy. Smeets said that Martins’ work in the TPC programme and on the simulator has prepared him well.

The team expects the session will mark another key step forward in his development. The Spanish Grand Prix will be held at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with Free Practice 1 scheduled for Friday ahead of the race weekend.

This opportunity puts Martins in the spotlight and adds valuable experience as he continues his career at the highest level. Williams heads into the event having made progress in the constructors’ standings.

The team currently sits fifth, with 54 points, thanks to the efforts of Albon and Sainz so far in 2025. The session for Martins is also part of a wider trend in Formula 1 as more young drivers are given the chance to gain vital experience in official sessions, despite ongoing challenges such as penalties affecting teams.

As the F1 paddock looks to Barcelona, fans and teams alike will be watching Martins’ performance closely. The session offers not just a learning opportunity for Martins, but also helps Williams gather useful data as the season unfolds ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and the rest of this year’s packed schedule.

John Martinez

John Martinez delivers real-time NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series news, from live race updates to pit-lane strategy analysis. A graduate of the University of Northwestern Ohio’s Motorsports Technology program, he breaks down rule changes, driver tactics, and championship points with crystal-clear reporting.