Franco Colapinto continued in Austin last weekend his remarkable results in F1, the Williams rookie snatching another top-ten finish – his second in four races – with a spirited drive in the US Grand Prix.
Lining up 15th on the grid at The Circuit of the Americas, Colapinto masterfully executed a long first stint on hard tyres – 39 laps – to climb through the field and ultimately cross the checkered flag in tenth position.
For Williams, the impressive result more than made up for the dismal afternoon suffered by Alex Albon, but the valuable point also helped the Grove-based outfit extend its advantage over Alpine in the Constructors’ standings.
All along the 52-lap event, Colapinto never put a foot wrong, defending admirably against Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who was on fresher tyres, for the better part of ten laps, showcasing his impressive racecraft.
The young Argentine also held the fastest lap of the race until Alpine’s Esteban Ocon pitted for a fresh set of tyres and snatched the accolade to prevent Williams from gaining an additional point.
“I think more than the point, I’m happy for the pace we had and how strong we were in the race,” Colapinto commented after the race.
“After a very tough Saturday for us, we bounced back and showed the pace we had and we were one of the strongest in the midfield.
“That’s really positive for us and what we were looking for. And I think after such a tough Saturday for the team, to have this point, to have the pace, to have the fastest lap until the end of the race, it’s something else, you know.”
The 20-year-old apprentice acknowledged the learning curve still ahead of him but was mightily encouraged by his ability to manage tyres and maintain clean air pace.
“After a tough quali for me, I’m happy with how we controlled the tyres and in clean air we showed we are stronger than the others and at the end on the mediums we were super quick until the end of the race,” he explained
“Happy but a lot still to learn and a lot to improve on myself as well but it is a solid start.”
To Albon’s credit, the Anglo-Thai racer played a vital role in securing his teammate’s result.
After a contact at the start compromised his own race, Albon fought to hold up cars behind him, giving Colapinto some breathing room in the crucial middle stages.
“I felt I got a little bit pinched in the start so I didn’t have anywhere to go,” Albon explained after concluding his day a lowly P16. “And then we had damage and that was really it.
“I thought we were going to retire. It felt like the kind of race where you wouldn’t mind a retirement but we played the long game, tried to help Franco after the damage, tried to hold back some of the cars behind him and then that was it really.”
Colapinto’s point, combined with Albon’s tenacious defense, helped Williams emerge from a tricky weekend in Austin with a much-needed boost.
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