There will be three French drivers in FP1 of the Spanish Grand Prix. In addition to Pierre Gasly and Isack Hadjar, Victor Martins will be behind the wheel: the Williams Racing Academy driver will drive Alex Albon’s FW47. For the ART Grand Prix team member, this marks his official debut in a Formula 1 race weekend.
The 2001-born driver, who won Formula 3 in 2022, is in his third season of Formula 2. This year, he has achieved a pole position in Melbourne and a podium in Jeddah. He prepared for FP1 at Montmeló through a TPC (testing of previous cars) program, in which he drove the 2023 FW45 in Monza last April alongside Luke Browning.
Victor Martins’ words
“I’m very happy to take the wheel of the FW47 for the first time in Barcelona! It will be an incredible experience to drive for Williams,” said the Frenchman. “I’m working hard to prepare as best I can to make the most of my time in the car and make the session valuable for both myself and the team. I’m extremely grateful to Williams for giving me this opportunity, and I can’t wait to enjoy every second.”
Martins’ debut comes as part of the requirement for teams to run rookies in at least four FP1 sessions during the season. The Grove-based team already put Browning in the car in Bahrain earlier this year, where he drove Carlos Sainz’s car.
Opportunity also for Ryo Hirakawa
Ryo Hirakawa will also return to action in FP1 at Montmeló. For the Japanese driver, it will be his third appearance of the season following his runs at Suzuka (with Alpine) and Sakhir (with Haas). He will drive the VF-25 in place of Esteban Ocon.
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