A Formula 2 regular since 2023 and a Williams Formula 1 test driver in 2025, Victor Martins will make his endurance racing debut with Alpine in the World Endurance Championship 2026.
Now 24, Martins adds his name to the growing list of single-seater drivers who failed to reach F1 and have instead turned to endurance racing.
What we have learned
In an increasingly common move, Alpine confirmed the news via social media. As The Race revealed several weeks ago, Martins has joined the French manufacturer's Hypercar programme.
"Joining Alpine Endurance Team in the FIA World Endurance Championship is a significant step in my career and a responsibility I take very seriously," Martins said.
"Competing in my first Le Mans 24 Hours with this team is a huge motivation, and I'm looking forward to working closely with everyone to push performance, build consistency and contribute to the long-term success of the programme."
Forced to reinforce its driver line-up following the departures of Mick Schumacher (to IndyCar) and Paul-Loup Chatin (to Genesis), Alpine has now secured what is likely to be its second and final addition after Antonio Felix da Costa.
While not yet officially confirmed, Martins is expected to line up in the #36 A424 alongside Frédéric Makowiecki and Jules Gounon, forming an all-French crew. The #35 car will feature da Costa, Charles Milesi and Ferdinand Habsburg.
He will meanwhile remain part of Williams's F1 set-up as a test and development driver, having "consistently given inavluable guidance and feedback to the team" last year as per Williams sporting director Sven Smeets.
"His recent experience driving the FW47 in Barcelona FP1 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 will share the Williams roles with Oliver Turvey and Harrison Scott.
A familiar relationship resumed
The WEC deal marks the third time Martins has had a link with the Renault Group. He was part of the Renault Academy in 2018-19 before rejoining the Alpine Academy in 2021 following his Formula Renault Eurocup title.
Alpine also gave him his first taste of prototype machinery, running him in the WEC rookie test in Bahrain at the end of 2024.
"Victor will bring us his natural speed, but also his experience at the highest level and his technical understanding, all of which will allow us to continue progressing collectively," said Alpine team principal Philippe Sinault.
"Since Victor took part in the 2024 rookie test with the A424, there has been a clear mutual desire to work together. We share the same mindset and approach, and I have no doubt his integration will be swift and that he will quickly contribute to improving our overall performance."
The third chapter of the story between Martins and Viry-Chatillon will therefore be written in WEC.
A well-established pathway
As The Race wrote in May, endurance racing has increasingly become the destination for drivers squeezed out of Formula 1. Since 2015, of the 41 drivers who finished a season of F2 or its predecessor GP2 in the top five, 20 have participated in at least one grand prix, 11 are currently in F1, three in IndyCar, eight in Formula E, and 12 in endurance racing.
On the entry list for the 93rd edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2025, we counted more than 30 drivers who have passed through F2 or GP2.
This does not even include those who raced in the Formula Renault 3.5 series - a rival championship that in the early 2010s was as competitive as GP2 - such as Robert Kubica, Kevin Magnussen, Jean-Eric Vergne, Miguel Molina or Filipe Albuquerque.
Some drivers need time to find their footing, but Martins could fast-track his adaptation thanks to da Costa and Milesi, who was his R-ace GP team-mate back in 2018.
The Race says
Martins' commitment to a WEC seat all but finishes off what had been a peculiar march towards F1 - which had looked a distinct possibility ever since he came out of karting a world champion (winning a race for the world title that also featured the likes of Oscar Piastri, Jack Doohan, Theo Pourchaire and Dennis Hauger).
He was never unpromising but took a lot of time to arrive to F1's precipice - first as an Alpine junior, then as a Williams one - and just couldn't make that final step.
Across three seasons in F2, Martins was probably already its best qualifier half a year in - and beat eventual Haas F1 sensation Ollie Bearman to finish as top rookie in 2023.
But the race pace component to pair with his prodigious single-lap speed never came along, and whether this was due to the ART Grand Prix team no longer being an F2 powerhouse or Martins' own shortcomings, it meant there was no real case for an F1 team, whether Alpine, Williams or any other, to take a shot on him.
He was also something of a magnet for trouble, often on the receiving end of other drivers' brain-fades but sometimes over-optimistic or over-defensive himself and prone to a penalty or two.
There's a talent there that probably warranted an F1 start or two at the very least. But a good WEC seat for a manufacturer that needs a new anchor driver is a better fit for Martins than just an existence on F1's periphery as a travelling reserve driver and simulator workhorse.
