Williams Academy driver Victor Martins will take part in the first Free Practice session at the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend, driving Alex Albon’s FW47.
This FP1 session fulfils the team’s second of four mandated driver sessions this year and marks Martins’ debut drive in a Formula 1 weekend.
Martins is currently racing in the F2 Championship with ART Grand Prix, bringing some stand-out results including pole position in Melbourne and a podium in the Saudi Arabia Feature Race.
This follows two prior strong seasons in F2, being crowned top rookie in 2023 and achieving five podiums in 2024, including a victory in Barcelona. The Frenchman previously impressed in Formula 3, where he won the closely-contested 2022 championship, securing victory at the finale in Monza. Across the season, he achieved two Feature Race wins and four further podiums.
As part of his preparations for FP1 in Barcelona, Martins participated in the TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) programme in Monza earlier this year, driving the FW45 alongside fellow Academy driver Luke Browning.
Martins participation in the FP1 session is part of the academy’s tradition of giving young talent a path into F1, most recently demonstrated by alumnus Franco Colapinto’s graduation into an F1 race seat.
“I’m super happy to be taking the wheel of the FW47 for the first time,” said Martins. “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 for giving me this opportunity and I’m looking forward to enjoying every second of it!”
“We’re proud that Victor will be taking part in his first Formula 1 session in Barcelona,” added Sven Smeets, Williams Sporting Director. “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.
“His participation in our TPC programme and simulator work in Grove have prepared him well and we look forward to seeing him in the garage this weekend.”
