For the first time in more than two decades, this weekend Argentines will have their own countryman to cheer on in Formula 1.
Williams Racing announced Tuesday that youngster Franco Colapinto will race with the team for the remainder of the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.
His first race will be at the Monza Grand Prix this coming Sunday (September 1), where he will race alongside fellow Williams driver Alex Albon.
Colapinto, 21, will replace current driver Logan Sargeant, the US-born racer who has been with Williams for two years, the team confirmed in a statement published on its website.
It said the young Argentine – the first to race in F1 for 23 years – will wear the number 43 while racing.
Colapinto will be following in the footsteps of fellow countryman Carlos ‘Lole’ Reutemann, who also raced for Williams in the 1980s and later went on to become a national senator.
“It is an honour to be making my Formula 1 debut with Williams – this is what dreams are made of,” said Colapinto in a statement issued by the team.
"The team has such amazing history and a mission to get back to the front which I can’t wait to be part of. Coming into F1 mid-season will be an enormous learning curve but I am up for the challenge, and I’m fully focused on working as hard as I can,” he added.
Williams Racing said in a statement that the decision to replace Sargeant, the US driver who crashed the team’s newly updated car at a race recently in the Netherlands, had not been easy. But ultimately, the team’s bosses have lost patience.
Sargeant gained his sole point for Williams at the US Grand Prix last year, becoming the first American to score in F1 since Mario Andretti three decades before.
Earlier this month, Williams said that Carlos Sainz would replace him next year.
A starter of 36 races, Sargeant will remain part of the team's set-up.
“To replace a driver mid-season is not a decision we have taken lightly, but we believe this gives Williams the best chance to compete for points over the remainder of the season,” said Williams Racing’s James Vowles.
"We have just brought (sic) a large upgrade to the car and need to maximise every points-scoring opportunity in a remarkably tight midfield battle,” said the team principal.
“We also believe in investing in our young drivers in the Williams Racing Driver Academy, and Franco is getting a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate what he is capable of across the final nine rounds of the season.
“I know that Franco has great speed and huge potential, and we look forward to seeing what he can do in Formula 1,” said Vowles.
Colapinto has long been tipped for stardom and has already had a taste of F1 life, taking part in first practice at Silverstone before the summer break.
A member of the Williams driver academy, Colapinto moves up to motorsport's fast lane after impressing in the Formula 2 Championship this year.
Born in Pilar in 2003, his interest in motor racing began young and he was encouraged by his family to pursue his passion.
Colapinto has already had practice sessions in simulators in Bahrain, Barcelona and Austin. He also took part in the first practice session of this year’s Silverstone Grand Prix.
Local press reports suggest that at least major Argentine companies are keen to support his rise to the top of Formula 1, while superstar musician Bizarrap has also backed him financially.
He has worn one of the DJ's famous baseball caps throughout the past year and featured a special design on his race helmet dedicated to the music composer.
Bizarrap is backing him financially to be able to compete in the current Formula 2 season. He even wore the DJ's iconic cap throughout the year and a special design on his helmet, dedicated to the music composer.
– TIMES/PERFIL
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