Franco Colapinto shares what’s ‘not great news’ after his promising F1 debut at Monza

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Franco Colapinto enjoyed a quietly good debut at the Italian Grand Prix after finishing 12th for Williams.

The Argentine driver graduated from Formula 2 to replace Logan Sargeant, who was dropped from the team after ‘reaching his limit’.

The only previous running that Colapinto had before arriving in Monza was his FP1 debut at the British Grand Prix, where he impressed the team.

He was sixth in the Formula 2 standings, but has given up any shot at that championship to pursue his Formula 1 career sooner than he would’ve expected to.

Franco Colapinto shares ‘not great news’ after Monza debut

Sargeant’s 11th-placed finish at the same British Grand Prix that Colapinto debuted at is saving him the embarrassment of being behind the rookie in the championship after one race.

Monza was a circuit that Colapinto had visited before, which is a privilege he will not be afforded over the next few events at the likes of Azerbaijan, Singapore and Mexico.

Although simulators are excellent, nothing beats being able to do real laps in unfamiliar machinery – so keeping his car out of the wall and on the track will be a key priority.

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“Giving them a great performance in my first race, it’s a great way to start building onto the next few races,” he said on F1’s Italian Grand Prix post-race show after the race.

“It’s true that now there comes certain races that I don’t know the track, so it’s not great news I think. A bit tough, but also on the other hand it’s a good moment to do your debut at a track that I know quite well.”

What happens to Colapinto if he performs well?

Williams currently have two drivers under contract for the 2025 season, with both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz forming a strong pairing.

It means that even if he manages to finish the season strongly, Colapinto will struggle to find a seat on a grid which is ultra-competitive to find a spot on.

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He could go back to Formula 2 and attempt to win the title, but those that have won that honour recently haven’t gone on to prosper in Formula 1.

Audi are yet to decide on who will complete their line-up for next season, with Nico Hulkenberg set to lead the team – and a whole host names linked to the seat.

Should Colapinto score points, you would expect him to at least bag himself some more time in a Williams car during practice sessions in 2025.