Written by Vyas Ponnuri
Franco Colapinto has been signed by Williams to replace the struggling Logan Sargeant at Williams for the remainder of the 2024 Formula One season. The Argentine driver will partner the incumbent Alex Albon at Williams starting from the Italian Grand Prix, vacating his Formula 2 seat.
Even if for just nine races, Colapinto will get to relive the joys of racing a Formula One car. The 21-year old replaces Sargeant at the Grove-based outfit, the American driver replaced after one-and-a-half seasons at the team.
The 21-year old becomes the first Argentine to race in Formula One since Gastón Mazzacane back in 2001. He will also be the next in a list of illustrious names from his nation to take the wheel of a Formula One car. A nation that has provided the sport a five-time world champion in Juan Manuel Fangio, Ferrari's first race winner in José Froilán González, and a multiple race-winner in Carlos Reutemann.
Even still, Colapinto's promotion is an exciting prospect for the youngster. First touted as a rising star in motorsport during his karting days, Colapinto has risen through the ranks ever since.
Colapinto was honoured to race for a historic team of Williams' stature, and was quoted saying:
“It is an honour to be making my Formula 1 debut with Williams – this is what dreams are made of,” Colapinto said of the news. “The team has such amazing history and a mission to get back to the front which I can’t wait to be part of.
“Coming into F1 mid-season will be an enormous learning curve but I am up for the challenge, and I’m fully focused on working as hard as I can with Alex and the team to make it a success.”
Having commenced karting aged nine, Colapinto took his first championships at the grassroots level back in 2016 and 2018. Having been scouted by Fernando Alonso's FA Racing by Drivex team, he raced in the Spanish F4 series in 2019, winning by a dominant 98-point margin.
Colapinto even boasts endurance racing experience under his belt. The Argentine racer took part in the European Le Mans Series back in 2021, partnering former Formula One racer Nyck de Vries in a season in the LMP2 class.
Having raced in regional series, Colapinto elevated himself to the Formula Regional Championship by Alpine (FRECA) in 2021, achieving two wins and two podiums in a stellar season for MP Motorsport.
He then took a step closer to top-flight motorsport by stepping up to Formula 3 with Van Amersfoort Racing in 2022. His season lived up to the hype, as he topped his debut qualifying session, taking two wins and five podiums in a stellar campaign.
Ahead of his second Formula 3 season in 2023, Colapinto was signed onto the Williams Driver Academy, and returned to familiar pastures at MP Motorsport. This was his breakthrough season, as he finished high up in the top ten, scoring two wins to finish fourth in the standings.
An elevation to Formula 2 was on the cards, as Colapinto was promoted to MP Motorsport's F2 outfit for the season finale at Abu Dhabi, replacing the departing Jehan Daruvala.
He would then be announced a full-time racer for the team in 2024, ahead of the new era of Formula 2. Colapinto's campaign has gone from strength to strength this year, as he took his maiden win at Imola, after a last-lap pass on Paul Aron fetched him victory.
Having finished second twice in feature races at Spain and Austria, Colapinto currently sits sixth in the standings with 96 points to his name. He even took part in an FP1 session at Silverstone, impressing Williams with his adaptability and his speed.
Now, Colapinto will get to relive the dream of every youngster, as he prepares to take the daunting step to race in Formula One for the first time, even if for nine races. He will be racing alongside Alex Albon for the remainder of the season.
Comments