Williams has a new driver in F1. What do you need to know about Franco Colapinto?

One of the outsiders among Formula One teams, Williams, has decided to make changes to its driver roster as the 2024 season progresses.

The British stable, which occupies the penultimate place in the Constructors' Cup, today said goodbye to American driver Logan Sargeant.

In a season and a half in F1, the 23-year-old Sargeant failed to convince fans and experts that he was worthy of remaining in the strongest class of motor racing. On his account, 37 starts in F1, but during this time he scored only one point. For comparison - his partner, Alexander Albon, only in the current season four points.

Perhaps also on the decision of Williams influenced Logan's mistake at the last Grand Prix of the Netherlands: during the test runs pilot failed to cope with the control and destroyed his car.

In place of Sargeant team called the Argentine Franco Colapinto.

On the official website of the newcomer Williams said that he was first behind the wheel of karting at the age of nine.

Colapinto, 21, has been a member of the Williams academy since 2023.

In his second season at Formula 4 level, the driver won the Spanish championship. In 2020, Colapinto was on the podium and finished third overall in the Formula Renault Eurocup and Toyota Racing Series.

New season, new podium. In 2021, Franco finished third in the Asian Le Mans Series.

In 2023, the Argentinian began to compete in Formula classes under the auspices of the International Automobile Federation.

Two seasons ago, Colapinto finished a final ninth place in the F3 championship with Van Amersfoort Racing. As 2023 progressed, Franco began representing the MP Motorsport team. He made two starts in F2 and finished a prestigious fourth place in the final F3 standings.

In the Formula 2 championship for the 2023 season, Colapinto holds a current fifth place after sixteen races. This is where his journey in F2 will end, but will begin in the elite of motorsport.

In 2024 Franco has already sat behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car. Just in the cockpit of Williams, the pilot found himself during testing at the British Grand Prix.

“We are proud of our talented group of drivers at the Williams Racing Academy,” Williams Racing team sporting director Sven Smits said earlier. - It's important for us to give them the opportunity to progress and have chances in the measure of their career progression.”

The debut race for Colapinto will take place next weekend, with the Argentine and his team expected to start at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza

“Coming to Formula 1 in the middle of the season will be a big learning curve,” Franco noted today. “But I'm ready to take on the challenge and fully focused on working as hard as I can with Alex and the team to succeed.

To perform worse than Sargeant at Colapinto in the current season certainly will not work out: the American ends his career in F1 with zero points in the current season. Will the Argentine be able to score at least one point?