Most Formulation 2 rookies can be pleased to take a seat fifth within the standings with one spherical remaining, with one win and 9 podiums to their title. However not Victor Martins. The self-effacing, ever-critical Frenchman claims his 2023 has been “common”, regardless of sitting because the best-performing first-year driver.
The 2022 F3 champion, who can also be a member of the Alpine Academy, moved as much as F2 with ART Grand Prix for this season and has been broadly praised for his performances – particularly in comparison with third-year team-mate Theo Pourchaire, who’s embroiled in a title struggle with Prema’s Frederik Vesti.
Martins began the season as he meant to go on, claiming a third-place end within the season-opening Bahrain dash race earlier than taking second the next spherical in Jeddah. Regardless of a short drop in kind the next three rounds, he bounced again with a double-podium in Barcelona earlier than making it three-in-a-row subsequent outing on the Purple Bull Ring.
With three pole positions underneath his belt, an elusive first victory got here at Silverstone, enduring three security vehicles and a five-second penalty to take a sensational win. It meant “loads, extraordinarily loads,” to the French driver.
“We’ve got labored actually exhausting on the races to grasp what sort of strategy, the way to handle the tyres and the mindset I have to have for the races in comparison with Qualifying,” he stated after the race. “I believe I’ve discovered it since just a few rounds and it was all about time, simply to attend for this one till we had nearly, I might say every part proper as a result of that was a tricky race nonetheless immediately. However I’ll say now I had an excellent automobile; ART is doing an excellent job. Additionally, with Theo, it’s superb to be the 2 of us sharing the rostrum. I believe it’s there and we simply have to proceed that.”
That sturdy exhibiting continued subsequent outing on the Hungaroring, with one more podium, and although he narrowly missed out at Spa, two extra second-places got here at Zandvoort and Monza.
Regardless of all that, Martins informed Autosport forward of the penultimate spherical at Monza that he charges his season as “common.”
Martins has starred at occasions in his rookie F2 season however hasn’t discovered the consistency of title fighters Pourchaire and Vesti
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“Why? As a result of the tempo is extremely good I’ll say on a regular basis, however the outcome is just not at all times the one we deserve or the one which is in keeping with the tempo we now have each time. So I’ll say common as a result of we may have executed significantly better at some factors.
“I bear in mind weekends like Zandvoort, Spa, and plenty of others, Monaco, so I might say we did not maximise every part each time. However on the similar time, I believe it is the place I’m the weakest from my profession to this point, the place I am at all times in entrance so I’ll say that is crucial factor, in fact, to be fast each time and to be in entrance, however on the similar time, it exhibits me that if you do not have the consistency and administration that you should have generally, you can’t be on the entrance both, so common I might say.
“I can’t be pleased with what number of factors I missed, however I’ll say it taught me loads from the start of the season. I do not know what I’ll do subsequent 12 months, I do not know what the longer term shall be. However I can solely say that I shall be stronger due to my expertise and what I’ve been by this season. So I am not pleased however on the similar time I’ve large hopes for the longer term with what I’ve executed this 12 months.”
“It has been common as a result of truthfully, after I take a look at the championship, I may have been a lot greater with out all of the errors” Victor Martins
It’s considerably of a shock to listen to such sturdy self-criticism from a driver whose rookie season has been so spectacular, even when there have been some errors – crashing out on the second security automobile restart within the Baku dash race maybe the obvious of them.
With 131 factors to his title, Martins has simply seven factors fewer than fellow Alpine junior Jack Doohan and is 21 behind third-placed DAMS driver and Purple Bull junior Ayumu Iwasa – additionally a second-year driver.
However, he continues: “It has been common as a result of, truthfully, after I take a look at the championship, I may have been a lot greater with out all of the errors. Zandvoort was the final one, however we will clearly see that we did not handle every part. We received a 10-second penalty, which is one other penalty. [At] Silverstone I had a penalty once more however I overcame that with the victory as a result of we have been fast. However there are various – in Spa, for instance, dashing within the pitlane, 5 seconds extra. As a substitute of doing one other podium, I completed P5. So each time there are 5 or 10 factors in a weekend missed due to a small mistake which has large penalties. So in the long run, yeah, I can’t be [happy]. If I am pleased, it implies that I am not somebody who needs to win.”
Martins is aware of with out so many errors and penalties he may very well be within the title struggle on the Abu Dhabi finale
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Although his criticism could appear harsh, Martins’ dedication is crystal-clear, and he’s proper to say that small errors can have big penalties in such an in depth championship – Vesti crashing out on the formation lap at Spa may show pivotal on the subject of the title battle.
His previous experiences have additionally probably formed his views. Having joined the Alpine Academy at age 17, he was dropped on the finish of the 2019 season after dropping the Formulation Renault Eurocup title to team-mate Oscar Piastri by simply 7.5 factors. It was a devastating blow for Martins, however he bounced again to win the title the next 12 months and was welcomed again into the fold. He then moved as much as F3 in 2021 with MP Motorsport, scoring one win and 6 podiums in his rookie season earlier than taking the title in 2022.
Returning to Monza, the place he clinched that championship, a 12 months on conjures blended feelings for Martins, who appears far wiser than his age at simply 22. In a dramatic finish to his championship cost, a red-flagged race and a five-second penalty nearly put paid to his dream. However one other driver’s misfortune meant he was topped, pipping runner-up Zane Maloney and third-placed Ollie Bearman to the title.
Although he says being again on the Italian circuit does deliver again “some pleased [memories]”, there are additionally “some traumatic ones”.
“I’ll say I discovered from this final 12 months weekend as a result of so many issues occurred. I bear in mind within the dash race, I had an incident with Leclerc, I used to be too shut racing with him and I ended up within the gravel,” he continues. “So it could possibly present me that right here additionally there may be lots of shut racing and generally you should get more room if you wish to end the race. However crucial one is to have gotten the title right here with a extremely good race, the characteristic one final 12 months, as a result of emotionally and within the automobile I used to be actually on level, understanding what I used to be doing, and that is the form of mindset I have to have.”
Trying ahead, Martins hopes to return for a second F2 marketing campaign subsequent 12 months, driving within the new 2024-spec car which was unveiled at Monza, although he does say it’s “not clear what I’ll do”.
He provides: “If I do it once more, for positive I’ll attempt to apply what I’ve discovered this 12 months straightaway because the first spherical if I do F2. So in fact, I’ll strive. Even when I do one thing else, I’ll attempt to be taught from this season. I do not know but. Actually, it is fairly open nonetheless. Even when I say realistically I can solely go for a podium within the championship, when it comes to factors, I can nonetheless win the title. However let’s examine.”
The 22-year-old has loved personal F1 testing with Alpine however hasn’t but been known as up for an FP1 outing
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Martins may even proceed his work with Alpine, and says the group is “there to assist me”, including that “even when I do one thing dangerous, they’re there to grasp why I did that, why I did a mistake, to make me develop and be stronger within the subsequent part. I see my future with them.”
Although he’s not sure if or when he’ll participate in a coveted FP1 outing as Doohan has executed, Martins believes being on the high of his sport is vital.
“I did two days on the personal exams, which I am actually pleased about that. I received that first style of a Formulation 1 automobile and I thank them for that, however in fact I need to have one other probability” Victor Martins
“Actually, what’s going to deliver me to do an FP1 shall be to be, once more, on the high of the sector, profitable, pole positions, and possibly they are going to reward me with that. However immediately, no, I am not doing any. I did two days on the personal exams, which I am actually pleased about that. I received that first style of a Formulation 1 automobile and I thank them for that, however in fact, I need to have one other probability.”
Given his present type of profitable championships on his second try as he did in F3, maybe Martins may already be an early favorite for subsequent 12 months’s title – however let’s see the place this 12 months finally ends up first.
The Alpine academy driver stays one to be careful for sooner or later
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