In Profile: Victor Martins

Stepping up on the back of winning the 2020 Formula Renault Eurocup Championship, Victor Martins hopes to hit the ground running with MP Motorsport. We get to know the 19-year-old a little better with an inside look at his biggest achievements, his racing heroes, and his favourite tracks.

NAME: Victor Martins DATE OF BIRTH: 16/06/2001 NATIONALITY: French 2021 TEAM: MP Motorsport

FIRST RACING MEMORY

“That would be my first time trying a go-kart, a proper go kart which you can race with. It was in Portugal when I was still doing gymnastics. I did gymnastics from the age of five to 11 and that was originally my sport, but then I tried karting in Portugal when I was 11 and it put me on this pathway. I was on holiday at the time with a friend and he had a go kart. When I got back to France, I asked my parents if I could do motorsports instead, I loved it straight away.”

RACING STYLE

“Really calm. I try to understand how the car works and how to be fast with the car. It is quite hard to say exactly, but calm and in accordance with the car, trying to become one with the car.”

BIGGEST RACING ACHIEVEMENT

“It is quite hard to choose between my world championship in karting and the Formula Renault title. I think that the Formula Renault title is probably more important to me. It was my first in single-seaters and a culmination of all my hard work and experience beforehand.”

RACING HERO

“I don't really have an idol, but I really look up to Lewis Hamilton and how he works with the people around him. How he lives his life and what he is fighting for. I really like Charles Leclerc, I think he is really inspiring. I would not call them my idols, but they are people who inspire me. Alain Prost as a French driver is another. I love every kind of sport, and I would say that someone like Rafael Nadal in tennis is a real inspiration too.”

FAVOURITE TRACK ON THE F3 CALENDAR

“I really like Barcelona because of how fast the corners are. You have some where they come one after the other really quickly and that is great fun to drive. Budapest is really nice as well and I think that it will be crazy with an F3 car. It is hard to choose, but I think those two would be two favourites.”