Franco Colapinto has received praise from one of his former F1 driver compatriots who is already comparing him to the reigning world champion.
Recruited by Williams to replace Logan Sargeant who was not performing well enough in the eyes of the Grove managers, Franco Colapinto was unanimously acclaimed from his debut in Formula 1.
Twelfth in Italy, the Argentinian driver followed up with an eighth place in the following round, in Azerbaijan. A result which allowed him to collect four points to unlock his counter in the premier category, which his predecessor had only managed to achieve once during his 36 Grand Prix appearances, with a tenth place obtained in Austin last year thanks to the disqualification of other competitors.
If he surprises the paddock with his rapid learning of the mechanics of the discipline, after being thrown into the deep end during the season, Colapinto also delights Argentine fans, who had no longer seen one of their own on the starting grid since Gaston Mazzacane, in 2001.
The Argentinian Verstappen
Another of his compatriots, himself a former F1 driver, also proposed a new nickname to the main interested party after his fanfare debut. Miguel Angel Guerra, who only made one start in F1, during the 1981 San Marino Grand Prix, recently praised Colapinto, calling him the “Argentinian Verstappen”. .
“We have an impressive driverestimates Guerra. This is the Argentinian Verstappen. Any clear-headed team leader, like James Vowles at Williams, should already be talking to his representatives. »
A quality of learning
Guerra then followed up with a bold comparison, which put Colapinto on equal footing with some of the most successful drivers in the field, despite the latter only recording three appearances in F1.
“In three races, he made fewer mistakes than Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, Charles Leclerc or Checo Perez,
he continues. They are the ones who look like rookies. Franco rides like a very experienced rider. This is why we talk about him so much. »
“Everything was very pleasant during the first race and the welcome was warm. But when others see that he fights like this on the track, and that he compares well, everything changes.” concludes the Buenos Aires pilot.
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