Lewis Hamilton finished the Azerbaijan GP in P9, just behind Franco Colapinto and ahead of Ollie Bearman. With both rookies finishing in the points, Hamilton congratulated them as soon as he stepped out of the car. ESPN journalist Juan Fossaroli later revealed that the seven-time world champion spoke highly of the two.
Hamilton fought hard with Bearman and Colapinto in the race, and he realized their potential. Fossaroli spoke about the same on the F1 Nation Podcast.
“He [Hamilton] mentioned it’s so nice to see the young drivers,” he said. “I asked him about Franco, but Lewis came out about Ollie also. And he said it’s fantastic to have this young talent when they have the opportunity to perform well.”
De Lewis Hamilton para Franco Colapinto pic.twitter.com/HPL06TIbt0
— VarskySports (@VarskySports) September 16, 2024
“He sees a lot of potential in them, you know? And I think it’s fantastic for the sport.” Fossaroli added.
Hamilton later posted pictures on Instagram, where he hailed Bearman and Colapinto. He added their names right after congratulating his teammate George Russell for his P3 finish. “Congrats to George on the podium, and to @francolapinto and @olliebearman as well. It was a great fight, and it’s amazing to see so much new talent coming in.”
Both drivers relished the opportunity to battle with Hamilton on track. Bearman already has a confirmed seat with Haas for 2025, meaning he’ll likely go wheel-to-wheel with the Briton more next season.
Colapinto, meanwhile, is filling in at Williams until Carlos Sainz arrives in a few months. However, if he continues performing like he did in Baku, it will be hard to keep him out of the sport.
Colapinto’s impressive Azerbaijan GP
Colapinto finished the Azerbaijan GP in eight, just one place behind his teammate Alex Albon. But what was more impressive was that he managed to keep Hamilton behind.
The man Colapinto replaced at Williams, Logan Sargeant, managed just one point in 37 races for the Grove-based outfit. Colapinto surpassed that in a single race, scoring four.
Colapinto turned many heads in the Baku paddock, but unfortunately, there aren’t many seats available for 2025. The only teams with openings are RB and Sauber, with the former likely favoring one of the Red Bull drivers.
Sauber could be an option, but the Hinwil-based team—set to become Audi in 2025—has several drivers in mind, including F2 leader Gabriel Bortoleto.
