Franco Colapinto found himself thrust into the Formula 1 paddock mid-season after Williams chose him to replace the American Logan Sargeant. Behind the wheel of the British car, the Argentine showcased excellent skills, but the end of the season was marked by several incidents, some of which were costly in financial terms, stemming from the driver’s inexperience on certain tracks.
However, Alexander Albon believes that Franco Colapinto’s difficult final races with the team should not overshadow the excellent results achieved by the Argentine.
Franco Colapinto’s form, composed attitude, and rapid adaptation to the demands of the category even prompted Red Bull to consider acquiring the 21-year-old while evaluating driver options for 2025. However, just as the Argentine appeared on the radar of the Milton Keynes team, a series of costly crashes in Brazil and Las Vegas led Christian Horner and Helmut Marko to reconsider, redirecting their focus to their own pool of drivers.
According to Alex Albon, it’s hard to judge Franco Colapinto solely on the second part of his stint at Williams, which was more challenging, given that the FW46 also became harder to drive and the team had to struggle increasingly to keep up with the competition.
As reported by Motorsport, when the Thai driver was asked if Franco Colapinto’s mistakes overshadowed his season, Alex Albon replied: “I hope not. I don’t think he deserves that. I believe it all goes hand in hand with the car’s performance and that it became complicated towards the end of the season. For me, it was tough. I didn’t have a fantastic end to the season, and I don’t always blame myself, so I think the team knows how good he is.”
“In terms of timing, I think his arrival was perfect when the car was at its most competitive and perhaps easier to drive. To be honest, he did a great job in Baku and Singapore, which weren’t easy tracks.”
“It’s easy to push too hard when the grid is so competitive, and there’s no room to be slow or make a mistake. We both faced a tough series of races, so I wouldn’t blame him too much. Especially in Brazil, his first time in the wet, it’s not easy on a track like that. Then right after came Las Vegas, another very tricky track.”
Alex Albon concluded by saying: “He’s a fantastic driver. I feel he’s proven his worth in Formula 1. Certainly, when he arrived, I underestimated how quick he would be, and I think we’ll see him in Formula 1 sooner or later.”
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