Autobayng News Team
Williams has named Victor Martins as its official test and development driver for the 2026 Formula 1 season.
The 24-year-old joined their junior driver development programme last year. He was briefly affiliated with Alpine, and will reunite with the manufacturer this as he drives for their World Endurance Championship team.
Martins made his debut in an official F1 practice session at the Spanish Grand Prix last year. However the 2022 Formula 3 champion experienced a disappointing third season in Formula 2.
Having finished fifth as a rookie with ART in 2023, then slipped two places in 2024, Martins entered his third season with hopes of challenging for the title. But despite winning two feature races he ended the season 11th in the standings, seven places behind fellow Williams junior Luke Browning in his first full year in the category.
Martins will work alongside Oliver Turvey and Harrison Scott on the team’s development programme using its driver-in-loop simulator.
Williams sporting director Sven Smeets described Martins as “a talented driver who has consistently given invaluable guidance and feedback to the team, improving our on-track performance and supporting Alex [Albon] and Carlos [Sainz Jnr] throughout the 2025 season.
“His recent experience driving the FW47 in Barcelona and supporting the TPC [Testing of Previous Cars] programme gives him the real-world context to make real impact on the development of the FW48 and future car programmes.”
Martins thanked Smeets and team principal James Vowles for his new opportunity. “Williams is an iconic team with an incredible history and I’m excited to be part of the project to bring this team back to the front of the grid,” he said. The team rose to fifth place in the constructors’ championship last year.
View the current list of 2026 F1 drivers and teams
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Formula 1
- Grosjean reunited with helmet which saved him from huge fire in 2020 Bahrain crash
- Alonso to retire? Horner to return? Give your views on these 10 F1 predictions for 2026
- McLaren considered loaning Hamilton to Sauber for Formula 1 debut
- Bianchi family “hurt” as father reveals thieves stole the final kart his son raced
- “I died three times”: Donnelly on the crash which made him famous in ‘F1: The Movie’
