Victor Martins joins Alpine in Hypercar 2026 : a return that makes sense

This time, there is no conditional. Victor Martins will be part of Alpine’s Hypercar line-up from 2026, with his first appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans firmly on the horizon.

The announcement puts official status on discussions that had been quietly progressing behind the scenes for several weeks.

While his Formula 1 ambitions have, for now, drifted out of immediate reach following his departure from the Williams Driver Academy, Martins has wasted little time finding his way back to the highest level of world motorsport. Endurance racing – and Alpine in particular – now offers him a clear, structured and credible framework.

Victor Martins : a solid single-seater background, without inflated promises

Before turning towards endurance, Victor Martins built a coherent and complete single-seater career. Champion of the Formula Renault Eurocup, then FIA Formula 3 title holder, he went on to spend three seasons in Formula 2, two of them with direct backing from Alpine.

The end of his F2 campaign in late 2024, however, left a bitter taste. His second year with ART Grand Prix proved difficult, in a context shaped by the introduction of a new generation of cars that reshuffled the competitive order and caught out more than a few drivers.

Recruited by Williams to join its academy in 2025, Martins ultimately spent just one season at Grove. A dense and instructive chapter, but one that led to no immediate top-level opportunity – and one that never truly severed ties with Alpine.

A move prepared well in advance

Victor Martins’ return to the Alpine fold is anything but sudden. Discussions between the two parties had been ongoing for weeks and naturally gathered momentum. The driver was already familiar with the environment, the working methods, and above all, the car.

Victor Martins first sampled the Alpine A424 during the WEC Rookie Test in Bahrain in 2024. That initial outing was viewed positively internally, both in terms of outright pace and technical approach. Enough to establish a clear mutual desire to build something over the long term.

A clearly defined role within an ambitious project

For Alpine Endurance Team, the arrival of Victor Martins fits neatly into the progressive strengthening of its Hypercar programme. The Frenchman is valued not only for his natural speed, but also for his analytical skills and technical understanding, forged through years at the highest level of single-seater racing.

He joins António Félix da Costa among the new faces of the 2026 campaign, at a time when Alpine is prioritising sporting coherence and human continuity over headline-grabbing announcements. The objective is straightforward: to keep structuring the project, improve overall performance and establish lasting momentum at the top of endurance racing.

A first Le Mans, without unnecessary rhetoric

At 24 years old, Victor Martins is set to discover the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a demanding environment, far removed from the artificial spotlight of single-seater racing. Here, nothing is won in a single qualifying lap or through polished soundbites. Understanding the car, managing traffic, executing stints and working as a team will be essential.

At Alpine Endurance Team, no one is expecting an immediate headline performance. What matters is the ability to integrate, contribute to the car’s development and hold the distance. Martins arrives with a solid foundation, a maturity shaped by a career that has not always followed a straight line, and a genuine desire to get things right.

This is neither a promise nor a symbol. Just a serious opportunity, in a demanding environment. And that already says a lot.

Source : Signatech