On Sunday, Franco Colapinto secured tenth place at the GP in Austin. This marks the second time the young Argentine has scored points for Williams. Just four races ago, Colapinto was called up to replace Logan Sargeant, but he has since proven himself as a formidable Formula 1 driver. Although Williams cannot offer him a contract next year, team boss James Vowles is lobbying on his behalf with other teams.
Since Williams has a contract with Carlos Sainz next year, Franco Colapinto must make way. However, according to Vowles, Sargeant’s replacement deserves a place in the sport. “He deserves to be a Formula 1 driver,” said the Williams team boss in the Beyond the Grid podcast. The Englishman is now lobbying with other teams.
“We will do what we can to provide him with a seat,” Vowles explained. In reality, Colapinto can only turn to Sauber and Visa RB. “I’m not sure where Sauber and Visa RB stand in their decision-making,” said Vowles. “No one could have predicted this would happen. We can only help him to remain a professional Formula 1 driver. I can’t say more than that, it depends on the other teams.”
Technical Knowledge
According to Williams engineer Gäetan Jego, Franco Colapinto is also invaluable off the track. “I think he understands the car well,” Jego told the Spanish branch of Motorsport.com. “It’s nice to see how detailed he is. Sometimes you have to help him articulate things correctly, but I think he is on par with Alex (Albon) in that respect.”
“He’s doing very well and is very sensible in the car,” Jego concluded. “The same goes for the simulator. He’s always very precise and helps us steer the car in the right direction.” If Colapinto does not secure a contract for 2025, Williams has other plans for the 21-year-old driver — he will remain connected to the British racing team as a test and reserve driver.
