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

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Franco Colapinto has taken the Formula 1 paddock by surprise with his impressive start at Williams in the last three races.

The 21-year-old Argentine replaced Logan Sargeant midway through the season following a lacklustre year for the American and immediately made an impression.

In the three races he has competed in, Franco Colapinto has outscored Sargeant’s points total in 36 races with his points finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Damon Hill praised Colapinto for his move at the start of the Singapore GP in which he overtook three cars into Turn 1, including the Red Bull of Sergio Perez.

Team principal James Vowles discussed how he knew Colapinto would be an impressive prospect after seeing him in their car during practice for the British GP on the Beyond the Grid F1 podcast.

James Vowles impressed by Franco Colapinto after Silverstone outing

Colapinto ran with Williams during FP1 at Silverstone owing to the rules around rookie drivers without a super licence being given at least two outings at teams during the year.

It was the first time he drove the car and was just four-tenths off Albon at the end of the session, which raised a few eyebrows in the paddock.

Vowles recalls how he felt after the session and the influence it had on appointing him to the seat later in the season.

“I was a little bit taken aback how quick he was immediately out of the post. I spoke to him about it, he was very relaxed. He said ‘Yeah, it may never happen again’ So I was just enjoying the moment,” said Vowles.

Franco Colapinto could be option for Williams in future

Although he has impressed so far this season, it is unlikely that Colapinto will get a seat for the near future with Williams owing to them signing Carlos Sainz alongside Alex Albon for 2025.

Sainz and Albon are seen as a strong pairing for the future but there is ambiguity over whether either could stay at the team in the long term.

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

Albon could realistically have an offer from a team further up the grid, while Sainz is also reportedly on a contract with Williams that enables him to go to Mercedes or Red Bull if they want him.

This means Colapinto could be an option for Williams as early as the 2027 season, given he will take up the reserve driver role next season with the team.