In September 2024, the Williams Formula 1 team made headlines by announcing the unexpected promotion of Argentine driver Franco Colapinto to a full-time race seat, replacing American driver Logan Sargeant.
The decision came as a surprise to many, especially considering Colapinto’s track record in the junior categories, which had been far from impressive. Despite the scepticism surrounding his promotion to the pinnacle of motorsport, the Argentine driver initially delivered some encouraging performances. He managed to score points in two out of the nine Grands Prix he contested, suggesting potential for growth. However, a major weakness soon emerged — Colapinto proved to be highly accident-prone, a trait that raised doubts about his consistency and reliability on track.
Despite these shortcomings, Franco Colapinto quickly became a media phenomenon. Both on and off the track, his presence generated immense buzz, creating a wave of hype that was, in retrospect, completely disproportionate. Some even went so far as to suggest that Red Bull Racing should pair him with reigning World Champion Max Verstappen, or that Williams should drop Carlos Sainz — who had already signed with the team for the 2025 season — in favour of the young Argentine. In hindsight, those proposals now seem utterly absurd.
A decline cushioned by financial backing
During the 2024–2025 winter break, Franco Colapinto secured a contract to become the third driver at the BWT Alpine F1 Team. Notably, he became the highest-paid third driver in the history of the sport. According to reports, the French team had to invest approximately 20 million euros to secure his services.
This high-stakes move placed Alpine’s junior driver Jack Doohan in a very difficult position. With such a significant investment in Colapinto, it was almost inevitable that Doohan would eventually be sidelined to make room for the Argentine driver.
Yet fate had a different plan. Franco Colapinto’s performance in the races that followed turned out to be underwhelming at best — no better than the drivers he replaced. In fact, after only six race weekends, his results were already being called into question. He recorded two crashes during qualifying sessions and suffered a mechanical failure — specifically, a burnt clutch — even before the start of the British Grand Prix.
Nevertheless, despite his underperformance, Franco Colapinto remains in his seat — and it appears he has his sponsors to thank for that. According to inside sources, Alpine has received around 70 million euros from Colapinto’s Argentine commercial partners, making his position within the team virtually untouchable — at least until the end of the current Formula 1 season.
From future star to average pay driver
To be entirely honest, Franco Colapinto has experienced one of the most rapid career declines in recent memory within the world of Formula 1. As of now, he can only be considered a pay driver of average ability — with the word “mediocre” used in its literal sense, meaning “in the middle” or “unremarkable.” Whether Colapinto will be able to turn his reputation around during the second half of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship — beginning with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps — remains to be seen.
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