Williams F1 News: Team make EMBARRASING Franco Colapinto blunder ahead of Italian Grand Prix debut

Franco Colapinto, Williams, Italy, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 team make EMBARRASSING driver blunder ahead of Italian GP

Franco Colapinto has replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams for the remainder of the 2024 season

Kevin McKenna

Thursday 29 August 2024 22:57

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Williams Formula 1 team has made an embarrassing blunder concerning one of its star drivers ahead of the upcoming Italian Grand Prix.

F1 returns to the iconic circuit in Monza this weekend, just one week after Lando Norris' display in Zandvoort secured a second victory of the season for the Brit, and maintained his hopes of wrestling the drivers' title away from Max Verstappen.

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With just nine races to go in the 2024 season, the race for the constructors' championship is also heating up, with McLaren now just 30 points off Red Bull going into this weekend's event.

Franco Colapinto will drive for Williams for the remainder of the 2024 season

Colapinto replaced Logan Sargeant after the American lost his seat

Colapinto off to a bad start in Monza

Further down the grid, teams are scrapping for vital points in their bid to end the season on a high as they begin looking ahead to 2025.

In search of a change in fortunes, Williams this week announced a shake-up in their driver lineup, with F2 star Franco Colapinto to replace Logan Sargeant with immediate effect.

Sargeant's days at the British team were already numbered following the confirmation that Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz would replace the American in 2025.

Carlos Sainz will make the move from Ferrari to Williams in 2025

But in the wake of another dismal showing in Zandvoort last weekend, the team opted to pull the trigger on the 23-year-old, with Argentine Colapinto stepping into his shoes.

Colapinto is a member of the Williams Driver Academy and made his F1 debut during FP1 at the British Grand Prix earlier this year.

With excitement building in the Williams garage ahead of his first full weekend in F1, the team put up a headshot of the rookie alongside his car number and name above his garage in Monza.

But on closer inspection, a glaring error emerged, with the sign mistakenly reading 'Colopinto' rather than 'Colapinto'.