Franco Colapinto, very quickly, has become one of the most talked-about drivers in F1, having made his debut less than two months ago as Logan Sargeant’s replacement at Williams. The Argentine—who has turned a lot of heads in the paddock—has already scored four points, all of which came following a close battle with his idol in Azerbaijan.
Colapinto appeared on the Fast and the Curious podcast, where he spoke about his Azerbaijan GP duel with Lewis Hamilton, whom he supported as a child. “I have that memory of seeing [him] fighting for championships with Fernando [Alonso] and it’s incredible to suddenly be racing with [him],” he said.
The Pilar-born finished the Azerbaijan GP in P8, one place ahead of Hamilton who had tried his best to overtake the Williams rookie. In the immediate aftermath, Colapinto, who felt surreal, took the Instagram to gush over the fact that he had just raced against a seven-time World Champion.
“It’s very special, a dream come true”@FranColapinto reflects on his superb P8 finish in Baku #F1 #AzerbaijanGP https://t.co/73oKCdjRJ7
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 16, 2024
“It’s something very special and I did enjoy it a lot,” Colapinto continued. “After the race he came, he congratulated me and I respected him a lot. It was just very nice to see how open he was. How he respected the young drivers and it’s something very special for me,” he stated.
Even during the race, when Colapinto realized that it was Hamilton chasing him, it gave him extra impetus to stay in front. “You start to think like, wow, I am keeping Lewis behind.”
At the chequered flag, Colapinto finished ahead of Hamilton by almost three seconds in eighth.
Williams vouches for Franco Colapinto’s F1 future
Despite Colapinto’s strong performances so far, the 21-year-old will not be driving for Williams in 2025. With Carlos Sainz’s imminent arrival next season, the Argentinian is unfortunately left without a race seat with the Grove-based outfit.
However, team principal, James Vowles is clear that he wants to see Colapinto driving in the sport next year. “In two races he has shown the world that he deserves a place in Formula 1,” he told Motorsport after the Azerbaijan GP.
Vowles went on to confirm that he is open to having talks with Sauber / Audi for a possible seat for the Argentine next year. As things stand, the spot at the Hinwil-based team to partner Nico Hulkenberg is yet to be filled. Colapinto then joins the likes of Valtteri Bottas and Gabriel Bortoleto as candidates for new Audi COO, Mattia Binotto.
