Tom Clarkson will ‘never forget’ what Franco Colapinto did in his first Formula 1 interview

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Franco Colapinto has been one of the biggest surprise packages in Formula 1 in 2024. The Williams driver has only taken part in three races since replacing Logan Sargeant at the end of August.

While Sargeant’s benchmark was low, Colapinto wasn’t necessarily seen as a major upgrade. He walked away from his F2 season sixth in the championship with one win and three podiums to his name.

Sargeant, for reference, had placed fourth in his final year in the series. James Vowles had tried to loan Liam Lawson from Red Bull, suggesting he had limited faith in Colapinto.

Christian Horner insisted that Red Bull should be able to recall Lawson if they needed him at any point before Abu Dhabi. Recognising that this could put Williams in jeopardy, Vowles promoted from within instead despite any reservations he may have had.

Colapinto impressed in an FP1 outing at the British GP and seemed to adapt in little to no time on his Monza debut. He was disappointed to qualify 18th, but 12th represented a solid recovery in the race.

The 21-year-old took a step forward in Azerbaijan, spectacularly reaching Q3 before bagging a magnificent eighth place and four points. He very nearly outqualified Alex Albon in Singapore last time out too, with the gap just 0.007 seconds.

Franco Colapinto looked like he was going to ‘light a cigar’ in first Williams press conference

Colapinto may have angered Albon with his daring move at turn one at the start of the race, but both Vowles and the stewards were satisfied. The lunge, which saw him gain multiple positions, speaks to the confidence he’s shown at the outset.

Speaking on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, press conference host Tom Clarkson fondly recalled Colapinto’s first appearance. He’ll ‘never forget’ his relaxed demeanour in the face of dramatically increased media scrutiny.

“Do you know, he strikes me as a driver that is kind of meant to be in Formula 1,” Clarkson said. “I’ll never forget the first press conference that he came into. He sort of put his arm on the back of the chair and I thought he was going to light a cigar and get a drink and we were going to be there for hours.”

If he had any doubts over whether he belonged, the events of Azerbaijan surely removed them. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton praised the ‘amazing’ Colapinto after finishing a place behind him.

Why Christian Horner is astonished by ‘exceptional’ Franco Colapinto

Colapinto could drive for Williams in 2027 but the team may ask him to stay patient until then. Carlos Sainz can leave in 2026 under an exit clause in his contract, while Albon will be under pressure if the Argentine remains in the set-up.

Vowles has tried to place him at Sauber, who have a vacancy next to 2025 signing Nico Hulkenberg. However, Audi are favouring Valtteri Bottas, who knows the team well.

Colapinto will log thousands of testing miles if he takes up the reserve driver role next year. He can play an active part at Grove, but he’ll feel he deserves to be on the grid.

It’s significant, then, that Red Bull, who control two seats at their junior team RB, have publicly stated their admiration. Christian Horner has called Colapinto ‘exceptional’ and shared his amazement at the speed of his development.