Williams rookie Franco Colapinto says that despite the last minute nature of his call-up to replace Logan Sargeant, he’s always been ready for such an opportunity.
The 21-year-old Argentine who was competing in this year’s FIA Formula 2 Championship with MP Motorsport was assigned earlier this week by Williams to Sargeant’s F1 seat for the remainder of the 2024 season.
Colapinto says he was preparing last Monday for his Monza F2 weekend when he received the unexpected news of his promotion.
"On Monday I was in the Formula 2 sim, with MP, preparing the race with my team for Formula 2, here in Monza. So, you can imagine how late it was," he recounted.
"I don't know when they were thinking about it, but it's an opportunity that I've been always ready for, and that I've been waiting for so long.
"I was not expecting it, to be honest. I cannot explain you how happy I am to be here with Williams. They have been very supportive and the opportunity that they have given to me is insane."
Last month, Colapinto was handed an FP1 outing with Williams at the British Grand Prix. He reckons that his performance in that session played a role in the team's decision to give him a chance.
"I'm always ready; I've been the driver in the background for them for a while,” he said.
“I did the FP1 in Silverstone, I did a good job there. They were very happy about the performance and I think I was probably in their mind from before."
While excited about his debut, Colapinto also acknowledged the bittersweet nature of leaving MP Motorsport, a team he has been with for several years across various junior categories.
"Of course, it's very sad to not continue with them [MP] - they have been my family for so many years, since 2020 that we started racing together," he shared.
"I continue with them in doing step by step, championship by championship, and today I have to leave them, you know."
However, the chance to move up to Formula 1 was an easy decision for the young driver, even if it's only for the remaining nine races of the season, with no prospect of a 2025 seat as Carlos Sainz joins Williams next year.
When asked about the short-term nature of the drive, Colapinto was clear: "I was fully focused on my F2 season. It was my job before and I was trying to do the best possible. I had four [rounds] left. I was preparing with the team as best as possible."
"But you cannot choose when you get to Formula 1," he continued. "I came in this time, in this race, that is a very special weekend here in Monza, so I am super happy to be honest, and I'm very grateful to Williams for the great chance."
Colapinto concluded by emphasizing the simplicity of his decision to step up to F1.
"It's not difficult, imagine I was expecting to race in Formula 2 this weekend and now I'm in Formula 1, so it's quite easy. I'm very happy to be here,” he concluded.
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
