Williams Racing has announced that Franco Colapinto will join the team for the rest of the 2019 Formula 1 season, replacing Logan Sargeant with immediate effect. The young Argentine will make his debut at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix, where he will compete alongside Alex Albon. Colapinto will use the #43 race number.
Colapinto, a member of the Williams driver academy, has enjoyed a successful Formula 2 season, winning the Imola race and scoring podiums in the main races in Barcelona and Austria. He has also scored points in seven other races, before making his F1 debut in the first practice session at Silverstone in July this year.
Colapinto, who is just 21, will become the 49th driver to start in a Grand Prix for Williams. He is also the first Argentine in Formula 1 in 23 years and the second to represent the British team after Carlos Reutemann.
“It’s an honour to make my Formula 1 debut with Williams – it’s a dream come true,” said Colapinto. “The team has an incredible history and a mission to get back to the front of the grid, which I can’t wait to be a part of. Coming into F1 halfway through the season will be a huge challenge, but I’m ready to take it on. I’m focused on working with Alex and the team to achieve success.”
The decision to make changes to the line-up means an end to Logan Sargeant, who has represented Williams for the past two seasons. Sargeant, who has 36 F1 starts under his belt, last year became the first American driver in 30 years to score points in a Formula 1 US Grand Prix. A lack of pace, and more importantly a number of mistakes, forced Williams to make a change in mid-season.
James Vowles, Team Principal of Williams Racing, explained the reasoning behind the change: “Changing a driver during the season is not a decision we took lightly, but we believe it gives Williams the best chance of scoring points over the rest of the season. We have just made major improvements to the car and we need to make the most of every opportunity to score points in what will be an incredibly close midfield battle.”
Vowles added that Colapinto is being given a unique opportunity to showcase his potential in Formula 1: “We are investing in our young drivers at the Williams Racing Driver Academy and Franco has a fantastic opportunity to showcase his capabilities in the final nine rounds of the season. Logan has given his all during his time with the team and we are grateful for that. We still believe he is a talented driver and will support him as he continues his career. We believe Franco has great speed and huge potential and we can’t wait to see what he achieves in Formula 1.”
Source: Using the press release of Williams Racing
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