During the 2024 F1 summer break, Franco Colapinto could never have imagined that he would become a driver at the pinnacle of motorsport in the second half of the season. Yet, fortune smiled upon him. Williams had grown frustrated with Logan Sargeant, and Colapinto found himself among the drivers tipped to replace the American. The Argentine, however, had little confidence that he would be the one chosen.
The lack of media spotlight on Colapinto made him feel like he was out of the running. There were talks of the likes of Liam Lawson and Mick Schumacher replacing Sargeant, but no one (externally) was paying much heed to him.
During a recent appearance on the Fast and the Curious podcast, he shed light on the one call that changed his mind — and quite possibly his life.
“I [had] been seeing on social media the options,” Colapinto said. “No one was really speaking about me… I thought I was out of the equation, but I wasn’t.” Then, James Vowles — Williams Team Principal called him. “It was a surprise. And I was not expecting that.”
Franco Colapinto is to race for the remainder of the 2024 season.
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) August 27, 2024
“I was preparing [for] a Formula 2 race. I was fully focused on my championship and on the job I had to do. And then suddenly I got this call,” the 21-year-old added.
Vowles later told the media that Colapinto was always choice number one in his head. He was a part of their academy and was performing well—although under the radar—in the F2 Championship.
Ahead of the Italian GP, Colapinto was officially drafted into the Grove-based outfit and just three races into his F1 career, he has already justified why Vowles placed his faith in him, owing to his good performances. However, in terms of running for a seat in 2025, Colapinto may be a little too late to the party.
Is Colapinto out of F1 in 2025?
Colapinto’s stocks have surely risen in F1, especially due to his performance in Baku, where he finished P8, ahead of seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. Normally, what he has done so far would have been enough to warrant a serious claim for a seat. Unfortunately, almost all the spots are completely filled.
Williams had already decided to sign Carlos Sainz for 2025, and they won’t be deviating from their plan. Coupled with Alex Albon, the British team’s line-up will be set.
“Really really proud, well done”
Wholesome stuff from James Vowles as he congratulates Franco Colapinto on his quali performance pic.twitter.com/uQfUQ8wSEf
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) September 14, 2024
Vowles, however, is trying his best to get a seat for Colapinto. The only remaining teams on the grid whose lineups have not been confirmed yet are Sauber and RB, with the Faenza-based team not linked with him in any way.
Sauber—soon to become Audi—on the other hand, is very keen on securing his services. With Nico Hulkenberg already signed up for the project, Colapinto could bring the perfect balance of youth and pace to see the debut of a works Audi outfit in F1 in 2026. It could end up being his only option.
