The Argentine rookie thanked the Williams team on the radio for allowing him to realize his dream of racing in F1, but he naturally wants to build a career on the great promises seen this year.
Since his sensational entry into Formula 1 in September at Monza, Franco Colapinto has seduced most observers in the paddock with his natural speed and his undeniable charm.
But despite promising performances, scoring valuable points for his team in Baku and then in Austin, he also had more accidents, sometimes taking too many risks.
Ups and downs
This has somewhat dampened the enthusiasm of the other teams who had shown interest in him, knowing that the short-term future at Williams is blocked by the commitment of Carlos Sainz. The latter could possibly not make old bone in Grove if an opportunity appeared on the market in a top team for 2026, but nothing is less certain at this stage and Colapinto's future in F1 is dotted.
If Red Bull seems to have given up on this bet to favor its own sector, Flavio Briatore did not fail to come forward for Alpine by indicating that Jack Doohan's contract for 2025 only covered the first five Grands Prix, a sort of trial period to be confirmed, which could reopen the door to Colapinto confined to a reserve role next season.
Sad end of season
“Giving up was not the way I wanted to finish the last race of the championship, regretted Franco. I had a good start and was trying to finish the Grand Prix, but Piastri hit me, causing a puncture and some damage. We still had good pace after changing tires, but unfortunately we had to abandon the car due to a suspected engine problem.”
“The last two races were really unlucky for me, he laments. It's not the end of the season I wanted, but that's part of Formula 1. It's still a dream come true, although obviously I would have preferred to finish the way we started. “I've been working to race in F1 since I was very young and I'm incredibly grateful to everyone at Williams for giving me the opportunity to drive the car for these last nine races.”
In reserve of the republic
As a reserve, Colapinto will have the opportunity to take part in a testing program under the TPC (Testing Previous Car) regulations which is expected to be implemented by Williams with the help of Argentinian sponsors, but he will not will no longer be eligible for EL1s having lost their rookie status.
However, his management wishes to have him race in 2025, perhaps in endurance where he has already shone in the past, or even in Super Formula in Japan or for freelance work in IndyCar? In principle, at 21 years old, the Argentinian still has his whole future ahead of him but he must not miss the train…
