Autosport: Let’s speak about your present function at Williams. Are you able to clarify what affect you might have on the automotive?
Victor Martins: “I can have an effect on the automotive, however is it direct? Not essentially, I’d say, as a result of there are a lot of folks within the staff, many departments, many issues to enhance, to analyse – so ‘direct’, I’d say no.
“Nevertheless, participating in growth, sure – be it primarily on the simulator, testing vitality administration on the upcoming observe earlier than each weekend, making ready [for] Alex’s and Carlos’ arrivals in order that they will work on different issues which may be extra essential to them.
“I’m not going to have a direct affect on the likes of adjusting a suspension, as a result of I haven’t examined the automotive in actual life to today, however I’m going to hurry up that growth, I’m going to try to use my expertise and suggestions for them to have probably the most correct and absolute best data.
“Then, I attempt to have fairly a detailed relationship with Carlos [Sainz] and Alex [Albon] to know the areas we have to work on for the automotive – what’s good and never good, what we have to enhance, what to deal with.
“It’s essential for me to spend time right here [trackside in Belgium] to then return to the manufacturing facility and provides good suggestions, deal with the correct issues for this 12 months’s FW48. But it surely’s additionally good for my profession to continue learning from an F1 staff, hold my foot within the door as a reserve at a number of races, so I’m taking it positively.”
Pictured in 2025, Martins attended the Belgian GP as Williams’ reserve driver
Picture by: Clive Rose / Getty Pictures
AS: Doesn’t it make issues trickier to be within the simulator with out having pushed the precise automotive?
VM: “It does. However we all know how troublesome it’s to get precise mileage within the automotive – you don’t get many FP1 alternatives, there isn’t a lot time, these aren’t straightforward issues to get as a driver. So sure, I’d prefer to, I need to say I push day-after-day and hope day-after-day for such alternatives. However I nonetheless have sufficient suggestions and expertise to take a look at and hearken to what occurs on the automotive out on observe; reproduce it on the simulator, really feel it, perceive it and know the place to go from there.
“After all, if tomorrow I had been to have a possibility to drive it, it will be invaluable for the entire growth of the simulator, of the automotive, of the correlation – for just about everybody truly, all departments.”
AS: Has the staff given you a heads-up about probably taking the wheel someday this 12 months?
VM: “For now, there aren’t any FP1 plans. I’ve bought a number of TPC [Testing of Previous Cars] days, I’ve already had a day at Silverstone earlier this 12 months, however not with this automotive. For now, there’s nothing deliberate for me, however once more, issues can change in F1; you need to not rush or be determined, you simply have to do the job when wanted, be skilled, give the correct suggestions, have the correct relationship, then perhaps they’ll give me the automotive someday this 12 months.”
Martins took half in his first (and up to now solely) FP1 session ultimately 12 months’s Spanish GP
Picture by: Clive Rose / Getty Pictures
AS: You’re additionally growing a simulator particularly for the younger driver academy. How is it developed in comparison with an everyday simulator?
VM: “It’s truly fairly related, as a result of within the simulator I’m doing for this 12 months’s FW48, we try to replicate the automotive’s motion, its issues, its strengths and weaknesses, and its feeling, in an effort to develop it.
“For the simulator for younger driver growth, we attempt to get as shut as potential to how a automotive behaves on observe, so it naturally is comparable. However we’ll try to work on fashions from feeder collection – F3, F2 – to try to reproduce every little thing they may have in junior classes. However there are similarities, it’s the identical in the long run.
“It’s simply as much as me to deliver my F2/F3 expertise concerning Pirelli tyres, the automotive, the engines, the way it went, how they behaved – simply to copy them and reproduce them.”
AS: Ultimately, is it primarily about having two simulators that can be utilized concurrently?
VM: “Sure. Concurrently, not on the weekend, however for example on the manufacturing facility on a Tuesday, there’s the simulator that works on the FW48’s growth year-round, and some metres away, a simulator that runs to assist younger drivers.
“In order that’s the purpose, nevertheless it’s not the identical goal in any respect, nor the identical programme or the identical challenge, truly. One is for F1 and the opposite is for the academy’s younger drivers, so these are two very various things, however sure, they will run on the similar time.”
Martins has been busy engaged on two simulators in Grove
Picture by: Clive Rose / Getty Pictures
AS: Alex Albon stated many sources had been being devoted to subsequent 12 months’s FW49. Have you ever been engaged on it?
VM: “Sure, however we’re a sizeable pool of drivers, so we have now completely different duties and targets. As of now, I believe I’m extra devoted to present growth with the FW48, in order that’s race assist. For example, yesterday [on Thursday ahead of the Belgian GP] I used to be nonetheless on the simulator to organize this weekend and have the final changes on vitality administration, so I’m focusing extra on this. However a number of occasions this 12 months I’ve been in a position to check what’s coming within the subsequent few years and the way they behave relative to this 12 months’s automotive, in addition to the avenues to comply with.
“After all, I believe many engineers are devoted to that growth, however for certain, while you’re in an F1 staff, you get to work with many individuals on many alternative matters, so it’s fairly humorous how generally you might have somebody you may need by no means met earlier than since you’d by no means labored on this and that, somebody you met yesterday as a result of that engineer has simply joined. There are a lot of of us in an F1 staff, in order that’s lots of personnel and matters, many issues to analyse, we’re continually evolving, discovering new issues day-after-day – even in my function as a simulator tester and developer.”
The Frenchman’s function at Williams means he is studying day-after-day
Picture by: Clive Rose / Getty Pictures
AS: Earlier, you stated it was good in your profession to be right here. Does that imply you’re nonetheless serious about F1, and what does your future appear to be?
VM: “I’m not shying away from the actual fact I nonetheless consider F1, however I consider F1 as a lot as WEC or Formulation E for example, as a result of these are in my view the three most essential and coveted classes in motorsport for the perfect drivers on the earth, so for me it’s as essential to have one foot within the door in WEC, one foot in FE and one foot in F1.
“So sure, this stays a purpose, reaching F1 continues to be a dream, that’s why I’m conserving that foot within the door at Williams, with that function which brings me lots as a driver on the non-public aspect, on learn how to method, study new issues on engineering, on the automotive.
“For example, {the electrical} aspect of F1 can provide me good issues if I transfer to FE later in my profession, so there are a lot of connections between all these classes. Hypercar programs are very near F1 programs, so I can even deliver issues that I study right here into Hypercar with Alpine. So it’s helpful, no matter occurs for my profession, and it would give me at some point – you by no means know – an opportunity to drive in F1.”
Will Martins ever get a shot at F1?
Picture by: Clive Rose / Getty Pictures
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