Who Is Franco Colapinto? Age, Height, And Career Record Of New Williams Driver
F1Tuesday, 27 August 2024 at 22:20
Updated at Monday, 02 September 2024 at 09:59
Franco Colapinto is the latest addition to the F1 grid after he joined Williams Racing as a replacement for Logan Sargeant.
Franco Colapinto wasn't on top of the list of drivers likely to get into F1 in 2024 or even 2025. However, he got the opportunity of his life when the team principal of Williams, James Vowles, decided it was time to replace underperforming Logan Sargeant.
Who exactly is this, Colapinto? F1 fans might not be so familiar with this up-and-coming talent from Williams Driver Academy, so in this article, you will learn about his background, age, height, career highlights, and what exactly allowed him this opportunity to drive in F1.
How Old Is Franco Colapinto?
The new Williams driver, born May 27, 2003, is 21 years old, two years younger than Logan Sargeant, whom he replaced. Currently, he is the youngest driver on the grid in 2024 (if we exclude Ollie Bearman, who substituted Carlos Sainz for one race).
How Tall Is Franco Colapinto?
The Argentinian driver is 175cm (5′9″). That's about 3cm (1 inch) below average height - 178cm (about 5'10'') of the remaining 19 drivers on the F1 grid in 2024.
What Is Franco Colapinto's Nationality?
The 21-year-old was born in Pilar, Buenos Aires, so he is Argentinian and will be the only driver on the grid from South America. His full name is Franco Alejandro Colapinto.
Franco Colapinto in Williams garage
What Did Colapinto Achieve Before F1?
Argentine Karting Championship - 2 titles: The Argentinian driver started karting at the age of nine (2012). By the time he turned 15, he had won the Argentine Karting Championship twice—in 2016 and 2018.
Spanish F4 - dominant title victory: In 2019, Colapinto won the Spanish Formula 4 Championship with FA Racing. In 21 races, he secured 14 pole positions, 13 podiums, and 11 victories.
Formula Renault Eurocup—3rd place: In 2020, the Argentinian driver completed the full Formula Renault Eurocup season with MP Motorsport. He scored two wins, nine podiums, and finished third in the Championship.
Toyota Racing Series - 3rd place: In 2020, Colapinto also competed in the Toyota Racing Series, similar to F3. With eight podiums and one victory, he ultimately finished third.
Franco Colapinto in FIA Formula 3
Asian Le Mans Series—3rd place in LMP2 class: In 2021, the 21-year-old competed in multiple series, Asian Le Mans being one of them. With three podiums in four races, he finished third overall.
Formula Regional European Championship - 6th place: Driving for MP Motorsport, (2021) Colapinto finished sixth in the Championship despite withdrawing from four races. He also scored four podiums and two victories.
European Le Mans Series - fourth place in LMP2: One victory and two podiums in six races were only enough for Colapinto and his team (including Nyck de Vries) to secure ultimate fourth place.
FIA Formula 3 - 9th (2022) and 6th (2023): During two seasons in Formula 3, Colapinto scored four victories and ten podiums.
FIA Formula 2 - 6th: It became clear the Argentinian driver would not be able to complete the season as he was promoted to F1. At the time of transition to F1, he stood sixth in the F2 Championship with one victory and three podiums.
Franco Colapinto after winning F2 race at imola
When Did Franco Colapinto Have Race His First F1 Grand Prix?
The Williams Racing driver made his debut during the 2024 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the fastest and one of the most famous circuits in the F1 calendar.
The 21-year-old made a mistake in qualifying and consequently had to start the race from P18. However, he showed great speed in the race, and although he didn't score points (which wasn't expected of him either way), he placed in an amazing P12.
How Experienced Is Franco Colapinto?
Although he is only 21 years old and hasn't completed a full season in F2 yet, the Italian Grand Prix won't be the first time that Colapinto sits in a Williams Formula One car.
He already tried the 2023 model during the post-season testing in Abu Dhabi, and he also already drove this year's car during the FP1 session at Silverstone Circuit.
Until When Will Franco Colapinto Race For Williams?
The Argentinian has joined Williams Racing as a replacement for Logan Sargeant, who should have been there until the end of 2024.
The British team already has a driver lineup for 2025 consisting of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, so it is already clear Colapinto has only the remainder of 2024 to show what he's got. That means he has nine Grand Prix weekends to impress.
Franco Colapinto driving Williams F1 car at post-season testing in Abu Dhabi
What Happens With Franco Colapinto After 2024?
Colapinto will likely not be on the F1 grid in 2025, but if he performs above expectations, he might be on multiple F1 teams' shortlists for 2026.
F1 teams tend to value experience and when someone delivers under pressure. Scoring points in one or multiple races before the end of the season might be a career-changing achievement for Colapinto that could secure him a future seat in Formula 1.
POPULAR NEWS
Resigned Verstappen Might Have His 'Future Sorted Out' Says Hill
Horner Chimes In On McLaren 'Number One' Conversation: 'They Pay Him Five Times As Much'
Sky Sports' David Croft Responds After 'British Bias' Criticism From Newey
Norris Insists He 'Played Game Well' To Beat Verstappen In Baku
Experts Divided Over Blame In Sainz vs. Perez Azerbaijan GP Crash
