In 2024, Franco Colapinto makes history as Argentina celebrates its return to Formula 1 racing. Midway through the season, Williams promotes him from junior driver to full-time racer, replacing the underperforming Logan Sargeant. Although he doesn’t secure a spot for 2025, he gets to showcase his skills in nine races.
Formula 1’s rich history includes twenty-five Argentine drivers, among them the legendary world champion Juan Manuel Fangio. Gastón Mazzacane was the last F1 driver from the South American country in 2001.
Williams’ Strategic Moves in 2024
Williams‘ victory in the summer of 2024 in securing Carlos Sainz’s signature means that the team’s lineup for 2025 is already set when Colapinto steps in. Sainz and Albon are the drivers for the upcoming year, but this doesn’t dampen the Argentine’s spirits. On the contrary, the 21-year-old talent embraces the opportunity to finish the season. For nine races, he gets an unexpected chance to compete in Formula 1.
Williams’ New Driver: Franco Colapinto
Franco Colapinto steps in as a replacement for Logan Sargeant. The American’s time at Williams came to an end after the Dutch GP in late August 2024 (UTC). His dismissal followed a year and a half of sporting disappointments, only one point, and a series of crashes resulting in significant damage. Whether Colapinto can perform better is unknown at that time. However, Williams team boss James Vowles expresses full confidence in the Argentine, who had already impressed during a free practice session at the Silverstone circuit earlier that year.
Successor to Reutemann
With his nearly half-season as a Williams driver, Colapinto follows in the footsteps of compatriot Carlos Reutemann. He was the last Argentine to drive for Williams, coincidentally also the last Argentine to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix. Reutemann, who later became a popular politician in his country, passed away in 2021 at the age of 79.
Whether Colapinto will ever become a Grand Prix winner is a big question. He first got into a kart at the age of nine, quickly achieving success and twice becoming the champion of Argentina. At the end of 2018, he began his Formula career in the Spanish F4, winning the title just one year later. In 2020 and 2021, he had time to further develop his talents before making the leap to Formula 3.
With the Dutch Van Amersfoort Racing, Colapinto broke through in Formula 3 in 2022. In his first qualifying session, the young Argentine immediately clocked the fastest lap time. Two victories and five podium finishes later, he moved up to Formula 2 in 2023. In this class, he joined MP Motorsport, another Dutch racing team. In his rookie season, he finished sixth in the championship thanks to a single victory, earning him a spot in Williams’ training program.
In the subsequent Formula 2 season, Colapinto continued to thrive. The Argentine regularly finished in the points, won a sprint race, and made several podium appearances. He maintained this momentum after making the transition to Formula 1 with Williams.
