Former Alpine Academy driver and FIA Formula 3 Champion Victor Martins will switch from single-seaters to prototype competition in 2026, after agreeing terms to race for Alpine Endurance Team in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Martins has been a leading open-wheel star in recent seasons, with three full campaigns in FIA Formula 2 yielding 18 trips to the rostrum – three of them on the top step – and a best championship finish of fifth.
The Frenchman was appointed a member of the Williams Driver Academy last year. He has participated in a number of Formula 1 test sessions for the renowned British team as well as for Alpine, and in late 2024, he similarly got a taste of the famous French manufacturer’s A424 during FIA WEC’s annual Rookie Test in Bahrain.
Belying his total lack of prior endurance experience, Martins came out-of-the-blocks flying, rapidly getting to grips with Hypercar machinery to comfortably top the rookie timesheets in the morning – concluding the day third-fastest amongst the newcomers.
The 24-year-old Essonne native – a national gymnastics champion as a child – will form part of a six-driver, two-car line-up at Alpine. Series returnee António Félix da Costa is already confirmed in the #35 A424 – which triumphed in the championship’s milestone 100th race at Fuji in Japan last September – while Frédéric Makowiecki stays on-board the podium-finishing #36 entry.
“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 commented. “Alpine is a brand with a strong racing heritage and clear ambitions at the highest level of endurance racing.
“Competing in my first 24 Hours of Le Mans 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.”
“We are obviously very pleased with this collaboration, which represents a strong and exciting opportunity for the project,” echoed Alpine Team Principal, Philippe Sinault. “Victor will bring 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.
“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 that his integration into the team will be swift and that he will very quickly be able to contribute to improving our overall performance.”
The battle for honours will begin with the ten-hour curtain-raising contest in Qatar on 28 March, followed by races at Imola, Spa-Francorchamps, the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, Interlagos, COTA and Fuji, building up to the traditional eight-hour season finale in Bahrain.
Watch FIA WEC live or on-demand via the official FIA WEC TV app – your full-access pass to the FIA World Endurance Championship including the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans. Don’t miss a moment. For further information, check out the app.
