Franco Colapinto the only F1 driver to be handed FIA upgrade for 2025 after making Williams debut

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Franco Colapinto will receive an upgrade to his FIA Driver Categorisation having made his Formula 1 debut with Williams this year.

The Argentine was drafted in by Williams to replace the underperforming Logan Sargeant, during a crucial period for Williams as they attempt to close the gap in the points standings.

Williams had Sargeant on watch throughout the 2024 season after failing to score a point, and although his car was not always equal to Alex Albon’s, team principal James Vowles felt a change was needed after his firey crash during practice for the Dutch Grand Prix.

Franco Colapinto stepped in from his season in F2 where he had won the Sprint race in Imola and achieved podiums at the Red Bull Ring and Spain. He made his F1 debut at the Italian GP where he managed to finish 12th just outside of the points having been close to Albon for most of the weekend.

At the following round in Azerbaijan, Colapinto scored his first points after finishing in eighth place and managed to outscore Sargeant’s entire career points total in just two races. His debut means a change will be made to the official FIA Driver Categorisations for 2025.

Franco Colapinto switches from Gold to Platinum FIA Driver Catagorisation

The FIA categorises drivers based on their experience in various championships they participate in throughout a season and their age.

Although Colapinto has an FIA Super Licence which enables him to race in F1 Grands Prix, there is a separate system used to rank drivers for sportscar racing.

This is used in the World Endurance Championship, IMSA, and European Le Mans Series to help determine which drivers should be sharing in each car based on experience.

Some categories in sportscars require drivers who are Bronze and Silver, which effectively means they are a rookie, with a Gold or Platinum driver.

Colapinto will move up to a Platinum now that he has taken part in F1 race weekends and earned a Super Licence, much like his teammate Alex Albon.

James Vowles was ‘taken aback’ by what Franco Colapinto did weeks before Williams debut

Colapinto has been the talk of the F1 paddock since his debut due to how well he has performed under pressure and what he managed to achieve on track given his experience.

Sergio Perez remarked that he was a tough driver to overtake in Singapore, while Damon Hill was impressed by his Turn 1 overtake at the start of the race which featured an overtake on three drivers.

READ MORE: Who is Williams Formula 1 driver Franco Colapinto? Age, nationality, stats and more

Williams had already given Colapinto a drive during FP1 for the British GP in July, where he impressed Vowles and others in the team.

Vowles said he was ‘taken aback’ by his speed and how relaxed Colapinto was, having got close to the times set by Albon in the session.