Victor Martins Promoted to Test and Development Driver at Atlassian Williams F1 Team for 2026

Grove: The Atlassian Williams F1 Team has announced that Victor Martins, a graduate of the Williams Driver Academy, will step into a new role as Test and Development Driver for the 2026 Formula 1 season. Alongside his responsibilities with Williams, the French racer will continue competing in the FIA World Endurance Championshipwith the Alpine Endurance Team.

Martins joined the Williams Driver Academy at the start of 2025, bringing with him an impressive résumé that includes the Formula Renault Eurocup title in 2020, the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2022, and top rookie honours in the 2023 FIA Formula 2 season. Across three F2 campaigns, he claimed multiple victories, most recently securing a commanding win in the 2025 Qatar Feature Race, where he converted pole position into a dominant triumph.

Key Role in Williams’ 2026 Development Programme

Graduating from the Driver Academy, Martins will work as Test and Development Driver alongside Oliver Turveyand Harrison Scott. In this role, he will play a critical part in advancing Williams’ car development programmes, supporting race drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz as Formula 1 prepares for a major shift in technical regulations from 2026.

A central focus of Martins’ responsibilities will be the refinement of Williams’ state-of-the-art Driver-in-Loop (DIL) simulator, which became operational at the end of 2025. The simulator forms a key pillar of the team’s long-term investment in technology, infrastructure and performance. He will also contribute to the development of a dedicated Driver Academy DIL, reinforcing Williams’ commitment to nurturing future F1 talent.

Leadership Reaction

Commenting on his new role, Victor Martins said he was excited to be part of Williams’ long-term project and to help return the iconic team to the front of the grid. He added that having already worked with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz during race weekends, he is looking forward to continuing that collaboration in 2026.

Sven Smeets, Sporting Director, Atlassian Williams F1 Team, praised Martins’ impact during the 2025 season, highlighting his strong feedback, simulator work and on-track experience, including his FP1 outing in Barcelona and involvement in the team’s Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme. According to Smeets, this experience positions Martins to make a meaningful contribution to the development of the FW48 and future Williams F1 cars.