Lewis Hamilton SNUBBED as rival F1 driver lauded for huge achievement

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Singapore, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Hamilton SNUBBED as rival F1 driver lauded for huge achievement

Jolyon Palmer has lots of praise for Franco Colapinto

Jay Winter

Saturday 28 September 2024 12:06

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Former Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer has heaped praise on Williams rookie Franco Colapinto, stating that he’s never been more surprised by a driver’s early performances beating out the likes of Lewis Hamilton's outstanding F1 career start.

Palmer's remarks come after Colapinto's impressive results in his first three races for Williams, where the Argentine finished P12 at Monza, P8 in Azerbaijan, and P11 in Singapore, shocking the F1 paddock.

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Palmer, who is now a prominent F1 pundit, spoke glowingly about Colapinto’s impact, drawing attention to the rookie’s shining start and how he deserves a future at the pinnacle of motorsport.

Colapinto's debut at the Italian Grand Prix

Palmer: Colapinto's deserves an F1 future

"I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone surprise me with the level of their early performances as much as Colapinto has," Palmer stated in his F1 column.

"Logic says it must be securing his future in the sport."

While Hamilton famously finished P3 on his debut in Australia, followed by two consecutive second-place finishes in Malaysia and Bahrain in his extraordinary rookie season in 2007, Palmer suggests that Colapinto’s performance stands out more in today's highly competitive and less forgiving grid.

"He’s matched highly regarded Williams team-mate Alex Albon for one lap pace incredibly well so far, even out-qualifying him in Baku," Palmer said.

"For a rookie, that’s an incredibly encouraging sign."

Williams duo Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto

The former Renault driver added that Colapinto’s ability to seamlessly slot into F1 without any prior testing.

"In the modern era of Formula 1, you’d probably expect rookies to be rough around the edges still, particularly in the case of a driver who has hopped in mid-season and hasn’t had any testing or a pre-season to get up to speed," he stated.

"Grands Prix are long and very dynamic. There is so much required to complete the job on a Sunday."

Palmer specifically highlighted Colapinto's Singapore Grand Prix performance, where the Williams driver kept ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez for much of the race before being undercut by the Mexican during the pit stop phase.

Franco Colapinto finished P11 in Singapore

"Colapinto received praise from Sergio Perez during the race," Palmer noted.

"To be pushing as hard as he was on a circuit as punishing as Singapore, and in the longest race on the calendar, was bold – but to his credit, he kept it out of the barriers."

While there were still moments for improvement, including a costly mistake on his in-lap that allowed Perez to get ahead, Palmer was confident that Colapinto’s impressive start will cement his future in the sport.

"There are still some details for the Argentine to learn," he admitted.

"But overall I can’t stress how impressive this three-race start has been for a driver nobody expected to be in Formula 1 this year."

With the likes of Ollie Bearman and Kimi Antonelli joining the grid in 2025, Palmer’s high praise comes at a time when many are closely watching the next generation of drivers entering F1, and Colapinto, it seems, has already established himself as one for the future.

Lewis Hamilton FIA Formula 1 Williams Franco Colapinto Jolyon Palmer