When Williams announced that Franco Colapinto would be their replacement for Logan Sargeant, it definitely raised a few eyebrows. There were drivers available on the market, ones who had more F1 experience under their belt. Team Principal James Vowles, however, had his reasons behind giving the Argentine his debut.
In “The Vowles Verdict,” a segment on Williams’ YouTube channel, the British boss discussed Colapinto’s progress over the season. He revealed that they observed improvements at two key points, one of which occurred just before the British GP, leading to their decision to put him in the car in FP1.
Vowles also mentioned that Colapinto has consistently been within a tenth of a second of teammate Alex Albon, both during his time on the simulator and in Free Practice at Silverstone. Williams continued developing Colapinto behind the scenes, preparing him for what Vowles called an ‘eventuality.’
With Sargeant struggling, costing the team both points and repair bills, they decided after Zandvoort to replace him. Speaking of why they signed Colapinto, Vowles explained,
“The answer became simple. Let’s invest in Franco, let’s invest in the future… Within that simulation environment, they’re in that strong performance position, lets keep investing in that direction. The reward is what you saw in Monza.”
Colapinto’s strong debut
Colapinto started qualifying strongly in Monza and was on track to reach Q2. However, a mistake in the final sector caused him to touch the gravel, ending his session. He finished P18 but went on to impress many in Sunday’s race.
On a weekend where Albon finished P10, earning a valuable point for Williams, Colapinto was not too far behind. He crossed the finish line in P12, capping off a good debut weekend.
Moves made maturely
No sign of debut nerves for Franco Colapinto with these overtakes in Monza ⬆️#F1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/tYZ9AuqYy2
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 2, 2024
His results justified Vowles’ decision to choose him over more experienced drivers who were linked to the team, such as Mick Schumacher and Liam Lawson. Colapinto has eight races left to prove himself before making way for Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard, a key part of Vowles’ ambitious project, will join Williams on a multi-year contract alongside Albon.
