Victor Martins started his 2025 British GP weekend in commanding style, setting the pace in F2 Free Practice with a benchmark time of 1:41.699. The ART Grand Prix driver looked sharp throughout the 45-minute session, consistently placing himself in the top two positions after each run.
As the chequered flag brought the session to a close, Martins held off Hitech TGR’s Luke Browning by just 0.051s to secure P1. The performance added further weight to Martins’ growing reputation for delivering quick single-lap pace on Fridays.
“I think every lap I did was P1 or P2. There was a Red Flag that stopped me on one lap but definitely that lap was very good, it would have been P1,” Martins reflected.
“So I think the pace was overall great. It gives us good confidence ahead of qualifying. I think the car is in a good place, I am confident, I know the little things to improve on the car, I have already said them to the team, and I am confident they will give me a good car in Qualifying.”
The Williams Driver Academy member underlined how important a strong start is for momentum, particularly as he enters the second half of the season seeking more consistent results.
“It is a good start to the weekend, but the weekends have always started well. We just need to do the same job as always, be up there in Quali, and have a good start to the second half of the season.”
Seeking a clean and complete weekend
While Martins has been among the most consistent performers in F2 Qualifying this year—placing inside the top three in six of the first seven rounds—his race-day fortunes have not followed suit. Despite the early promise, he has secured only one podium so far in 2025, which came at the Jeddah Feature Race.
Determined to change that trend, Martins believes that a single trouble-free weekend at the 2025 F2 British GP, could unlock his full potential and reposition him in the championship fight.
“We just need one clean weekend,” Martins explained. “A weekend that is close to perfect will be helpful to come back in the Championship and then we can go to the next round with more confidence, because you know what to do, and you do not need to overreact.”
“So it will make a big difference to do a good weekend. I know it will come, it is just a matter of time. We have had bad luck, we have had a few issues, but it is getting there.”
Qualifying consistency key to revival
Martins remains one of the best qualifiers in the F2 field. He earned pole position at the season opener in Melbourne, inheriting top spot after Gabriele Minì received a three-place grid penalty. Since then, Martins has qualified second four times, most recently at Spielberg.
With Silverstone offering fast, flowing corners and an emphasis on car balance and driver precision, it presents an ideal venue for Martins to convert Qualifying form into tangible results at the 2025 F2 British GP.
“For sure, it is time to take control,” he said when asked about targeting pole position. “I think it will give us extra confidence going into the races, but even if I do not do it, it is fine.”
Martins is aware of the importance of managing expectations, and his pragmatic approach reflects a driver focused on executing over an entire weekend rather than fixating on single moments.
“I do not need to put too much pressure on myself for pole. If it is today, it is today, if it is in Budapest, it will be Budapest, it is fine. We just need to be in the top three.”
With Free Practice now complete and Qualifying looming, Victor Martins stands on the brink of another chance to assert himself at the front. If he can finally pair his trademark Friday speed with a clean, drama-free weekend, Silverstone could mark a turning point in his 2025 F2 campaign.
