Williams junior, Victor Martins, will join Alpine in the World Endurance Championship in 2026, and has doubled up his plans with a test and development role with Williams.<\/p>\n
Martins, 24, made his FP1 debut in Formula 1 at the Spanish Grand Prix with Williams last season, but with Mick Schumacher and Paul-Loup Chatin having left Alpine\u2019s endurance programme for pastures new in 2026, the French driver will rejoin the team for which he previously ran in its junior programme.<\/p>\n
Williams signs Victor Martins in test role after Alpine WEC move<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Former Formula 3 champion Martins had spent a large portion of his junior career as part of the Alpine stable but, in 2025, moved to the Williams junior programme.<\/p>\n This move sees the French driver step up to a test and development role with the team, which keeps his hand in single-seaters while combining it with his new drive in the World Endurance Championship.<\/p>\n He will also officially graduate from the Williams junior programme in the process, making him a professional driver working across two categories, competing in the top Hypercar class in WEC.<\/p>\n Of his drive with Alpine, Martins said competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time is a \u201chuge motivation\u201d for him, which also sees him depart Formula 2 after three seasons.<\/p>\n More on F1 2026\u2019s pre-season<\/p>\n F1 2026 cars: What name has each team given its chassis for the 2026 season?<\/a><\/p>\n F1 2026: Confirmed car launches and test days for huge regulation changes<\/a><\/p>\n He will combine that drive with testing Williams\u2019 machinery in the simulator, and offering key feedback to its race drivers, Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, to help push the team forward.<\/p>\n \u201cWilliams is an iconic team with an incredible history and I\u2019m excited to be part of the project to bring this team back to the front of the grid,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve already had experience working with Alex and Carlos during race weekends, and I\u2019m looking forward to continuing this work with the team in 2026. Thanks to James Vowles, Sven and everyone at Williams for the opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Williams<\/a> sporting director, Sven Smeets, added: \u201cWe\u2019re glad to welcome Victor into his new role as Test and Development Driver in 2026.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is a talented driver who has consistently given invaluable guidance and feedback to the team, improving our on-track performance and supporting Alex and Carlos throughout the 2025 season.<\/p>\n \u201cHis 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Martins\u2019 first race outing behind the wheel of the Alpine A424 Hypercar will come at the Qatar 1812km towards the end of March.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n