Risky bet but successful bet… for the moment! Franco Colapinto has admitted that his team, Williams F1, took a “big risk” by naming him as a starter for the end of the season in place of Logan Sargeant.
Colapinto was promoted to replace the still-struggling American. And the Argentine has impressed in his three races so far, with the Baku race seeing him take eighth place and his first F1 points.
“James Vowles (the director) was very open and he took a very big risk, he made a big gamble and a lot of people were not convinced of the wisdom of his decision.”
“I hope to show that I deserve my seat here, that I deserve to be in F1 and to repay the trust that James has placed in me for putting me in this position.
Colapinto added that Williams has legitimacy when it comes to giving inexperienced drivers their first opportunities in F1.
“Williams has always been a team that has given opportunities to young drivers.”
“It’s a bit of a legacy and if you look at the history of Williams, how many opportunities they’ve given young drivers, they’re the greatest team in this area.”
“It’s a team that is also known and recognized for this reason.”
