Franco Colapinto, a 21-year-old Argentine driver, will return to the Formula 1 grid, 23 years after Gaston Mazzacane last represented Argentina in the Prost team in 2001. Colapinto, a member of the Williams Racing Driver Academy program, will make his F1 debut on Friday at the British Grand Prix, taking the wheel of Logan Sargeant’s FW46 in the first free practice session.
This will not be Colapinto’s first experience with the Williams team, as he previously tested the FW45 during the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi.
Colapinto is currently fifth in the Formula 2 standings, having secured a win at Imola and podium finishes at the Barcelona and Austrian feature races. His impressive rookie season in F2 is built upon his strong performance in F3, where he finished fourth in the drivers’ championship with two wins, three podiums, and a solid points haul.
The Williams team has recognized Colapinto’s rapid progress and has decided to reward him with an opportunity to drive one of their official seats next year. Colapinto is thrilled with the news and is already preparing for his F1 debut.
“I’m very happy and it’s a very important moment in my life and career,” Colapinto said. “I’ll be as prepared as I can be, I’ll do a lot of laps in the simulator and I’ll study the details necessary to drive this year’s car.”
Argentina has a rich history in Formula 1, with 38 victories and 38 pole positions to its name. The country is also home to the great champion Juan Manuel Fangio, who sits atop the F1 statistics.
Colapinto’s return to the F1 grid marks an exciting moment for the sport, and fans will be eager to see him take to the track and compete against the world’s best drivers.