Victor Martins Replaces Luke Browning For Canadian Grand Prix

victor martins has replaced Luke Browning as Williams reserve driver for the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The move sends Martins back to a grand prix weekend and leaves Williams with a different trackside line-up for this weekend in Montreal.

Williams Switches To Martins

Williams made the change ahead of the race, with Martins stepping into the reserve driver role for the event in Canada. Browning was unavailable because he is competing in the fourth round of the Super Formula Championship in Japan.

Martins has spent this season working as a test and development driver for Williams. He had not been involved in a grand prix weekend for nearly a year before this call-up.

Martins Returns To Trackside

A Williams spokesperson said, "Victor joined the team as a member of the Atlassian Williams F1 Team Driver Academy in early 2025 before graduating into the role of Test & Development Driver in 2026." The same spokesperson added, "He has been working closely with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz from the factory, contributing to car development and setup refinement during race weekends."

That work now carries over to the garage at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Martins is also stepping into a trackside role for the first time since driving in FP1 at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix with the team.

Albon, Sainz And The Garage

Williams is keeping Martins in the loop with its race operation, not just its factory programme. His role with Albon and Sainz has been part of the team’s development work, and this weekend gives him the live race setting that had been absent since Spain.

The return also gives Williams a reserve option with recent trackside experience, while Browning remains tied up in Japan. For Martins, the weekend at Montreal is a straightforward promotion: from factory support to reserve driver at a grand prix that needs him in the garage now.