Following a really troublesome weekend for Logan Sargeant at Zandvoort, Williams have introduced that Franco Colapinto will substitute the American for the rest of the 2024 F1 season, beginning to compete from the Italian Grand Prix alongside Alex Albon.
Franco Colapinto is a member of the Williams Racing Driver Academy and made his FP1 debut on this 12 months’s FW46 on the British Grand Prix. His F2 marketing campaign this 12 months has seen him safe a race win in Imola and podiums within the Barcelona and Austria Function races, in addition to seven additional points-scoring outings.
The 21-year-old will turn into the forty ninth Grand Prix driver for Williams Racing, is the primary Argentine driver in F1 for 23 years and the second Argentine to drive for the British outfit, following his countryman Carlos Reutemann.
Within the crew’s assertion, Williams took the chance “to thank Logan Sargeant for his onerous work and contribution over the previous two seasons. Logan will stay within the Williams household and we are going to assist him to proceed his racing profession.”
The Miami-born driver has competed in 36 Grands Prix and, on the US GP final 12 months, grew to become the primary American driver to attain an F1 level since Michael Andretti 30 years prior.
Talking of the announcement, Colapinto famous: “It’s an honour to be making my Formulation 1 debut with Williams – that is what desires are fabricated from.
“The crew has such wonderful historical past and a mission to get again to the entrance which I can’t wait to be a part of. Coming into F1 mid-season will likely be an unlimited studying curve however I’m up for the problem, and I’m absolutely targeted on working as onerous as I can with Alex and the crew to make it a hit.”
Commenting on Williams’ choice, crew boss James Vowles mentioned: “To interchange a driver mid-season is just not a call now we have taken frivolously, however we consider this provides Williams the most effective probability to compete for factors over the rest of the season.
“We’ve simply introduced a big improve to the automotive and have to maximise each points-scoring alternative in a remarkably tight midfield battle. We additionally consider in investing in our younger drivers within the Williams Racing Driver Academy, and Franco is getting a improbable alternative to exhibit what he’s able to throughout the ultimate 9 rounds of the season.
“That is undoubtedly extremely powerful on Logan, who has given his all all through his time with Williams, and we need to thank him for all his onerous work and constructive perspective. Logan stays a proficient driver and we are going to assist him to proceed his racing profession for the long run. I do know that Franco has nice velocity and big potential, and we sit up for seeing what he can do in Formulation 1,” Vowles concluded.
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