Williams announce new driver signing following shock team exit

Williams Racing have added a young driver to their driver programme, snapping up an F2 star who had previously parted company with Alpine.

Victor Martins claimed F3 championship success in 2022, before being promoted to F2 with the ART Grand Prix team for the 2023 season.

Since then, Martins has claimed two wins and 14 podiums in the series, but has not been involved in a championship battle. The Frenchman finished down in seventh in the championship in 2024, prompting a split between himself and the Alpine driver academy.

Alpine have a plethora of young drivers among their ranks, including Paul Aron, Gabriele Mini, Kush Maini and F1 Academy star Nina Gademan.

Martins' split from the Alpine young driver programme was announced before the start of the 2025 season, which started in fine fashion for Martins when he claimed pole position at the season-opening race in Australia for the ART team.

Now, it has been announced that Williams have snapped up his services, adding the 23-year-old to their young driver programme.

Williams make new driver signing

Speaking in an official statement on his move to the Williams Racing Driver Academy, Martins said: "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.

"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."

Martins joins the likes of Luke Browning and Lia Block in Williams' young driver programme, as they prepare for the future.

The team's current F1 driver lineup of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz is arguably one of the strongest on the F1 grid, with both drivers tied down to long-term deals.

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