Franco Colapinto, who replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams with nine races remaining in 2024, made an impressive debut at Monza on Sunday, finishing in 12th place. His teammate, Alex Albon, praised the Argentine, particularly highlighting Colapinto’s pace.
Monza is one of the fastest tracks on the calendar and is known for being brutal on tires. However, Colapinto managed tire degradation exceptionally well. He withstood the pressure and finished just two positions shy of scoring points.
“I think he’s been instantly on pace,” said Albon on the post-race show. “But more than anything, it’s his mentality around his approach to the weekend [that] has been very impressive.”
POINTS in Monza!
A brilliant drive by Alex to secure P9 in today’s #ItalianGP and a very impressive @F1 debut for Franco who brought it home in P12! #DrivenByMyProtein @myprotein pic.twitter.com/P0dpjtIgfW
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) September 1, 2024
Given the circumstances surrounding Colapinto‘s sudden arrival, not much was expected of him. When it was announced that Sargeant would be let go, the community anticipated the return of a well-known name, with Mick Schumacher and Liam Lawson among the candidates linked to the seat.
Additionally, Colapinto arrived with a group of sponsors from Argentina, which led to him being quickly labeled as a ‘pay driver
He has more to prove, of course, but he cleared his first hurdle impressively. His performance, along with Albon’s ninth-place finish, has given Williams hope that they can compete for more points in the remaining eight races.
Colapinto does himself a huge favor
Despite driving a less competitive car, Colapinto’s F1 career has gotten off to a strong start. His stint with Williams will last only another eight races before he returns to the junior categories. However, with continued strong performances, he could make a compelling case for an F1 seat in the future.
For 2025, Williams’ lineup is set, with Carlos Sainz joining Albon at Grove. Most other teams have also announced their drivers for next year, except for Sauber, who have other targets in mind.
Francomania pic.twitter.com/2IAtPluzGI
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) September 1, 2024
However, Colapinto could target a spot on the grid for 2026. With corporate backing from Argentine company Globant, he becomes an attractive option for teams. Performance-wise, he could have an impact similar to Oliver Bearman and Liam Lawson, who also made substitute appearances and positioned themselves as strong candidates for an F1 seat.
