Franco Colapinto last weekend completed only his third Formula 1 Grand Prix of his career, but right from the first laps at Monza, he showed himself to be an excellent driver, so much so that he’s being talked about for 2025. Williams boss James Vowles, however, has no regrets about waiting to promote the Argentine to a full-time driver for the British team, as he believes he would not have achieved the results he’s now getting in F1 if he had faced this challenge earlier.
Franco has impressed everyone during his three F1 Grands Prix so far. He completed an error-free race, finishing 12th in his debut at Monza, then entered Q3, placing eighth behind his teammate Alex Albon in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and last weekend again finished outside the points in Singapore.
Before his arrival on the starting grid, the only other F1 experiences for the 21-year-old were in last year’s post-season tests in Abu Dhabi and in the first free practice session of the British Grand Prix, where he took Logan Sargeant’s place.
As reported by Motorsport, James Vowles, speaking of the Argentine, said: “A lot of what we were doing with him behind the scenes was preparing him for this opportunity. Silverstone was one of the first times he got in the car and clearly made a step forward compared to the previous year in Abu Dhabi. He made improvements over the winter and also thanks to Formula 2.”
“If we had made the switch at the beginning of the year, I don’t think we would see the competitive Franco we see today. We did a lot of simulator preparation and other things that helped him get to where he is today.”
The Briton concluded by saying: “As for regrets, I mean, making the decision to drop a driver is one of the hardest things to do in my position. And I had to make sure I was very clear that it was the right thing to do. In my opinion, we improved the car, and now we have good performances where points can be scored; it’s the right demarcation line. So, from that perspective, I’m happy.”
“We knew Franco was fast, that’s why we put him in the car, but we expected him to take longer to get up to speed. At Monza, it was more or less what I expected. But going to a new track, where he had never been before, and being on pace, really, in FP1, and even after a crash, getting right back on pace is a challenge, and he’s very, very good at absorbing all the pressure that’s on his shoulders and doing his job.” – he pointed out.
“He did an extraordinary job. He threw himself into it headfirst, and since then, he’s done nothing but swim. He’s doing really well. And to be so close to Alex in just your second Grand Prix of your life is extraordinary.” – the Williams team principal concluded.
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