“I love this sport, but I love it when I win.”
Currently competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, Victor Martins reflects on his challenging 2024 season so far, as he navigates his climb back to the top.
A Challenging Start
“You have doubt coming when you are not delivering, when you are not where you want to be. Clearly the start of the season was painful for sure, but I always told myself to keep everything in it, keep working hard with the team and just focusing on the details.”
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The start of the 2024 season truly showcased Martins’ perseverance and determination to maintain a positive attitude following a string of disappointing results.
The season opener in Bahrain saw Martins finish 11th in the Sprint race, with the driver having to retire from the Feature Race following an engine failure.
Looking to bounce back in Jeddah, Martins qualified in fourth position, however crashed out on the first lap after hitting the wall at turn 2. Jeddah’s Feature race bought further frustration after the French driver crossed the line in 10th position yet received a penalty for colliding with Paul Aron on the penultimate lap, dropping him to 11th.
Although Martins crashed during qualifying in Australia, meaning he would start from 22nd position in both races, his recovery drive saw him finish in 7th position, scoring his first points of the season.
However, round four in Monaco saw Martins crash out on the first lap of the Sprint following a collision with Jak Crawford, after qualifying 2nd. The driver finished in 9th in the Feature Race on a weekend which he would have hoped would have ended more promisingly.
“We just try to stay calm, do some briefing, being smart,” said Martins.
Overcoming Doubt
The 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix marked Martins’ most successful weekend of the season so far, finishing second in both the Sprint and Feature Race.
Following the summer break, Martins was on the podium once again following Monza’s Sprint Race, finishing second. Also placing 6th in the weekends’ Feature Race, the driver moved into the top 10 in the championship for the first time all season.
The streets of Baku once again welcomed Martins onto the second step of the podium following the Feature Race.
“It is a big relief. I think where we are now is showing that we did a good job. I’m happy, I think it’s not the end yet. We still have two races to go.”
The 2024 FIA Formula Two Championship will see the drivers compete in Qatar and Abu Dhabi for the season finale on December 6-8.
Martins currently stands in 8th in the overall Driver Standings with 93 points.
Chasing Success
“When I’m in front, there is a bit of pressure to get the win, to fight for a pole position. This is why I’m doing this sport. I love this sport, but I love it when I win,” said Martins.
Martins is no stranger to success, winning the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2022, the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2020 and French F4 Junior Championship in 2017.
Part of the Alpine F1 Team Driver Academy, the driver made his F1 test debut in Monza in May 2023, driving the Alpine A521. Following this, he also got to test the Alpine A522 a year later at the Red Bull Ring.
For The Team
“I think the mechanics also deserve it, to see their work paying off. Team managers, engineers and mechanics so I’m happy about that,” said Martins.
Martins began his Formula 2 career with ART Grand Prix in 2023 after winning the Formula 3 Championship the previous year. He finished fifth in the Driver’s Championship with 150 points, securing one win, nine podiums and three pole positions.
He also received the Anthoine Hubert Award at the season finale in Abu Dhabi, which is given to the highest-placed driver without previous Formula 2 experience.
In January 2024, it was announced that Martins would carry on his relationship with ART Grand Prix for the 2024 Formula 2 Championship, partnering rookie Zak O’Sullivan.
Looking Ahead
“We don’t have testing so […] it was really, really tough to find, first, the issue, the main problem of the overall package, how I drive the car, how it behaves. Then after, to change something and see a clear improvement because of track conditions,” expressed Martins.
The resilience that it took between Martins and the team to not only find the initial issues, but also work hard to solve and bounce back from them was considerable.
“It was difficult to make a change, feel it, confirm it and then go forward,” confirmed Martins.
However, with a more promising and hopeful second half of the season, Martins will hope that this momentum can be carried into the final two rounds.
“I’m so happy now, I enjoy, again, so much racing. As I said, when you are not there, it’s painful, so for sure it’s a big relief.”
Featured Image Credit: Alpine F1 Team
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