Martin Brundle warns Franco Colapinto about ‘wasted words’ on team radio at US Grands Prix

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Franco Colapinto has once again shown his immense potential at the United States Grand Prix. It’s just his fourth race since replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams at the end of August.

Colapinto’s start has surpassed all expectations, both inside and outside Grove. A solid 12th on his F1 debut at the Italian GP was followed by a points finish in Azerbaijan.

Already, the Argentine is responsible for a quarter of Williams’ points (four out of 16). He enjoyed the benefit of a major upgrade package, but James Vowles didn’t think Sargeant could maximise it.

Perhaps most impressively of all, he’s instantly been able to challenge Alex Albon. Albon has become one of the highest-rated drivers in F1’s midfield since joining Williams in 2022.

In Singapore, the 21-year-old came within seven-thousandths of outqualifying the Thai driver. Sargeant didn’t manage to do that at any stage in his 18-month career.

And in Sprint qualifying for the US GP on Friday, Colapinto managed to beat him on merit for the first time. It’s the latest milestone in his remarkable emergence.

Franco Colapinto is a ‘star’ but must avoid ‘wasted energy’, Martin Brundle says

Albon’s hopes of progressing beyond SQ1 were dashed when he made a mistake at the end of the lap. He took too much kerb on the entry to the penultimate car and spun 360 degrees.

Colapinto went on to reach SQ3 and will line up for 10th for Saturday’s mini-race. But he was nearly involved in an accident that could have ended his day early.

On the in-laps at the end of SQ2, he encountered the slow-moving Alpine of Pierre Gasly on the entry to the fast turn four. He had to take evasive action to avoid what could have been a dangerous shunt.

Speaking over the radio, a furious Colapinto said: “Man, Gasly, what the ****? We almost crashed!”

Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle regards him as an emerging ‘star’ but he also offered some stern advice. He wants to see him show greater calmness in the cockpit and focus on the task at hand.

“Colapinto – what a star he’s turning out to be,” he said. “But you’d want to say to him ‘don’t let your heartbeat, don’t let the revs go up in your head and your body by something like that’.

“Just put it to one side, focus on SQ3. It’s just wasted energy, wasted words, as frustrating as it is.”

The big-name team Franco Colapinto could join next year with Williams path blocked

The lengthy break between the races in Singapore and Texas could have been an issue for Colapinto. It allowed the hype and pressure to build, potentially to an unhelpful point.

But his Sprint qualifying performance suggests he may still be on an upward trajectory, which is hugely exciting. Vowles will be thrilled with his showings but privately, there’s cause for concern.

Williams can’t offer him a seat because they’ve already signed Carlos Sainz and extended Albon. The plan was to loan to him out, but Colapinto’s talks with Sauber have broken down.

Big-name suitors may consequently spy an opportunity. Red Bull have ‘made noises’ about poaching Colapinto, though that could require a huge payout to Williams.