Williams team principal James Vowles has no regrets about the timing of Franco Colapinto’s promotion to the team, insisting the F1 rookie wouldn’t have been as successful had the decision been made earlier in the season.
The 21-year-old driver from Argentina has impressed in his two races with Williams, driving consistently and keeping errors to a minimum, while scoring his first points with an eighth-place finish in last weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Colapinto had limited experience in an F1 car prior to his race debut, having only participated in the post-season test at Abu Dhabi last year and an FP1 session at the British Grand Prix.
Being thrown in at the deep end at Monza as Logan Sargeant’s replacement seemed like a daunting prospect, but it was for which the former F2 charger was actually well prepared.
Asked if he regretted not promoting Colapinto earlier, especially given Sargeant’s persistent struggles, Vowles explained why such a move would have likely not been beneficial for the young gun or for Williams.
"It's an interesting question, because in part a lot of what we were doing with him behind the scenes is developing him ready for this opportunity," he explained, quoted by Motorsport.com.
"So Silverstone was one of the first times he got into the car and he'd made a step clearly from where we were in Abu Dhabi the previous year. He made some steps across the winter. He'd made some steps in Formula 2.”
Vowles believes that promoting Colapinto at the start of the year would not have yielded the same results.
"If we'd done this at the beginning of the year, I don't think you'd see the Franco you have today. And I think there's quite a bit of preparation that we've been doing in the simulator and otherwise to get him to the region where he is now.
"In terms of that regret, I mean, making a decision to take a driver out is one of the hardest things you can do in my position. And I had to make sure it was abundantly clear it was the right place.
"For me, at the point where we upgraded the car and we've delivered performance with it, where it can score points, that's the right line in the sand. So from that perspective, I'm content."
Vowles admitted that Colapinto’s performances since his debut have exceeded expectations, particularly given the challenges he faced.
"We knew he was quick, that's why we put him in the car, but expected him to take more time to get up to speed. In Monza, that was about what I would have hoped for, effectively.”
The Williams boss was especially impressed by Colapinto’s resilience in Baku, where he rebounded from a practice crash to become the first Argentinian to score F1 points in 42 years.
"But going to a new track that you've never been to before and being on the pace, really, in FP1, and even after an accident, coming straight back onto the pace is a challenge, and he's very, very good at absorbing all the pressure that's on his shoulders and just delivering.
"He's done an absolutely outstanding job. Just really jumped straight into it, two feet first, and has been swimming ever since. But he's doing brilliantly well. And to score points in your second ever Grand Prix, to be a few seconds behind Alex, is extraordinary."
While Colapinto’s future at Williams remains uncertain, with Carlos Sainz joining the team next season alongside Albon, speculation about a potential move to Sauber has emerged.
For now, however, Vowles seems satisfied with the decision to bring Colapinto into the fold when he did, setting the stage for what could be a promising career in Formula 1.
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