Why SHOCK F1 star should secure one of final seats in driver transfer market

Franco Colapinto, Rafael Villagomez, F3, 2022, generic — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Features

Why SHOCK star should secure one of final seats in F1 driver transfer market

With two seats still on offer, one man should surely be guaranteed a spot

Daniel Austin

Wednesday 25 September 2024 12:57

When Williams finally made the decision to drop the ailing Logan Sargeant following the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of the August, they could hardly have anticipated that his successor would make much of an impression.

After all, the Grove-based squad were simply looking for a sticking plaster solution – somebody who could bring the car home in one piece more often than Sargeant while keeping the seat warm for the incoming Carlos Sainz across the final stretch of the season.

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Former Haas man Mick Schumacher was the immediate favourite to secure the temporary seat, thanks in large part to the relationship between Williams and Mercedes, who employ the German as a reserve driver.

But team principal James Vowles then publicly labelled both Sargeant and Schumacher “not special”, which while perhaps justified, was acerbic in its delivery.

In the end, Vowles and his fellow Williams high brass eschewed the Schumacher option and instead opted for the largely unfancied Franco Colapinto, and F2 racer running under the team’s junior driver programme.

The 21-year-old had enjoyed an impressive if unspectacular career in the lower formulas, finishing fifth in his sole season in F3, and running 7th with one sprint race victory to his name in F2 before his shock promotion.

In the three races the Argentine has competed since making the step up, however, he has delivered a string of highly impressive results and performances which should be making teams up and down the grid pay attention.

How has Colapinto impressed so far?

Colapinto has been flying in his F1 career so far

Having battled with the likes of Fernando Alonso en route to a solid 12th-place finish in his debut at the Italian Grand Prix, Colapinto then outqualified team-mate Alex Albon in Azerbaijan before scoring his first F1 point in the race.

Then in Singapore last Sunday he finished a strong 11th in the most physically gruelling race on the F1 calendar, the heat and humidity of which even the most experienced drivers on the grid struggle to fight against.

Starting ahead of the Red Bull of Sergio Perez, the Mexican reported over team radio that it was “difficult to pass Colapinto” because “he’s very good.”

The high praise from his fellow Latin American was justified. Colapinto has driven three very consistent, quick races in very different circuits in his short F1 career so far. His most impressive moment so far, though, came right as the lights went out at Marina Bay on Sunday.

Starting on the inside of the grid with a faster Red Bull behind and the Ferrari of Sainz directly in front him, Colapinto held steady into Turn 1 as four cars entered the corner abreast, braking later than those around him to pass all of Albon, Sainz, and Yuki Tsunoda in one fell swoop.

It was bold, brave, and aggressive move, but one which was measured and controlled in its delivery. This was not a reckless roll of the dice that could have easily ended in tatters, but some sharply intelligent opportunism expertly executed.

What has Colapinto said about his performances?

Colapinto drove very impressively in Singapore

A new face to fans around the world, Colapinto has already demonstrated that he is playful and amiable on social media, but retains a grounded, level-headed approach to assessing his performances.

“There was a pretty nice gap and I went for it and it worked out,” a puce, sweat-coated Colapinto told the media after the chequered flag fell in Singapore. “Here the start is very important and to leave Turn 3 in front of some cars is always nice. You are in a match for a position later in the race. I was in a position to finish in the points [at that time].

“Unfortunately it didn’t happen, but it’s still a decent three first races of my life and I’m close to the points again. We need to focus a little bit more on quali. We should have been in Q3 and today we should have been able to finish P10, but just need to keep nailing it and we’ll be better for the next race.”

That Colapinto is not entirely satisfied with his results is testament to his self-belief. And if this is the level of performance he is able to produce aged 21 in the first three grands prix of his career, then he surely possesses the potential to build a strong career in the top tier of motorsport.

That career is unlikely to come at Williams, of course, given Albon and Sainz will both be tied down to the team long-term. But there are still two seats available on the grid for 2025, and any team principal worth their salt would surely deem Colapinto’s impressive start at least worthy of consideration.

Sauber are yet to make a decision about Nico Hulkenberg’s team-mate ahead of their transition to becoming the Audi works team, while the RB team could have a vacancy if Liam Lawson – who has been assured he will have a full-time place on the grid next year – is promoted to the senior Red Bull seat in place of Perez.

Albon (L) and Colapinto (R) have six races left as team-mates this season

A confident and quick youngster who brings significant sponsorship backing from Latin American firms would surely make plenty of sense for Audi alongside the more experienced Hulkenberg, while the RB’s entire purpose is to develop young drivers who could eventually race for Red Bull one day, so a talented 21-year-old should surely have piqued their interest.

What is clear is that Colapinto is already performing at a level far beyond anything Sargeant ever offered and is staking a strong a claim as realistically possible that he deserves a seat in the long run.

Whether his efforts yield an immediate result in time for 2025 remains to be seen, but if he carries on operating at the level with which he has begun, his talent will become increasingly difficult for rival teams to ignore.

Mercedes Carlos Sainz Williams Logan Sargeant Mick Schumacher James Vowles