Alpine juniors Martins and Collet team up at MP Motorsport for 2021 campaign

Alpine Academy duo Victor Martins and Caio Collet will team up at MP Motorsport for the 2021 Formula 3 campaign, becoming the Dutch team’s first confirmed drivers for the new season.

In 2020, Martins and Collet proved to be the class of the field in Formula Renault Eurocup, with Frenchman Martins taking the title and Brazilian Collet ending the year as a close runner-up.

Martins first caught the eye in French Formula 4, where he finished as runner up in his first full-season in the Championship in 2017.

The 19-year-old went on to finish as vice-champion with MP in Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019, before taking the title in 2020 with ART Grand Prix. He won seven times and took 14 podiums in total during 2020, as well as ten pole positions and eight fastest laps.

“It’s been a long time waiting to race in Formula 3. It’s the next step in the junior categories, so I’m looking forward to starting the season“, said Martins. “Even if it’s not the same engineers or mechanics from 2019 I still know a lot of the team.

“I aim to create a positive environment around me and work as much as possible with those around me like the Academy, my team and my family. It’s going to be good to race on the Formula 1 weekends. You see the cars up close and that’s really cool and it makes the ultimate goal feel even closer.”

Collet took the French F4 title in 2018, the season after Martins finished second, winning seven times and taking 11 podiums, before joining the Frenchman in Formula Renault Eurocup.

Competing for R-ace GP, he finished fifth in his rookie season, before finishing as runner up in 2020, with five wins, 12 podiums and three poles overall.

“I’m really looking forward to this season with MP Motorsport”, said Collet. “The Formula 3 series is part of the Formula 1 weekend, so naturally it has more eyes on it and it’s going to be important to perform to your best every single weekend.

“It’s also a very competitive series with some of the best young drivers in the world so it’s going to be a fight from start to finish. The target, as always, is to win the championship.”

MP Team Manager Sander Dorsman added: “Having Victor and Caio team up with us in FIA F3 is pure gold. They were very hard to beat when we raced them in Formula Renault last year, and now we have them on our driving roster ourselves!

“I’m extremely happy that our cooperation with the Alpine Academy has led to both Victor and Caio joining us, and we will work hard to provide them with competitive cars worthy of the Alpine name. I’m sure they will prove quick straight out of the blocks.”