Franco Colapinto on F1’s brutal learning curve: “You have to change yourself”

A debut that changed everything

Franco Colapinto’s Formula 1 opportunity arrived without warning. After Logan Sargeant’s heavy crash at Zandvoort, which left his Williams on fire, team principal James Vowles replaced him with Colapinto for the remainder of the 2024 season.

His debut brought 12th place at Monza. The next two races, however, offered a much clearer indication of his potential: Colapinto reached Q3 and scored points at the demanding Baku City Circuit, then narrowly missed more points at Singapore. He added another points finish in Austin, creating a surge of excitement in Argentina — a response that remains visible in the country’s appetite for his F1 return, as reflected in Colapinto’s prediction of record-breaking support for a future Argentine Grand Prix.

“My example was quite a shock,” Colapinto told Motorsport.com almost two years later. “I started my F1 career and in my second race I immediately got into Q3 and scored points.”

How quickly F1 can change

The strong opening was particularly important because Williams had already confirmed Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz for 2025. Colapinto needed to put himself in the shop window, but his momentum was interrupted in Las Vegas.

After progressing to Q2 while Albon was eliminated in Q1, Colapinto clipped the inside barrier at Turn 15 and hit the wall with a 50G impact. The accident became a defining moment — not only because of the mistake, but because it left his Williams heavily damaged.

“I do believe that you are as good as your last race,” he said. “It was annoying that all the effort and good things suddenly came to an end because of just a rookie mistake.”

He then had to race in Qatar and Abu Dhabi with old parts. With his contract situation unresolved and a car he estimated was three tenths slower, the final two weekends offered limited opportunity to prove himself.

The unseen mental adjustment

Colapinto says the experience exposed the psychological demands that spectators rarely see. His first races left him exhausted by the volume of commitments and responsibilities surrounding an F1 weekend.

“F1 is a beautiful sport and it’s what we dreamed of all our lives, but when you get there, a lot of things change and you also have to change yourself a little bit.”

After beginning 2025 as Alpine’s test and reserve driver, he returned after the Miami Grand Prix. He describes that second chapter as more difficult, but insists the difficult periods produced the greatest progress.

“When nothing is working, everything becomes very tense and very difficult,” Colapinto said. “I always feel those are the moments that have made me improve the most.”