Colapinto to be ‘evaluated’ pre-race following 50g crash

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Franco Colapinto’s heavy crash in qualifying in Las Vegas resulted in a 50g impact that will require the Williams driver to be medically evaluated on Saturday morning to be declared fit to race.

The young Argentine was on a hot lap in Q2 when he clipped the inside wall at Turn 16, which sent his Williams into the opposite wall at high speed.

Colapinto emerged on his own from the heavily damaged FW46 and appeared unscathed, but the sheer G-force suffered by the 21-year-old justified an immediate trip to the track’s medical center.

“During qualifying, Franco sustained a significant impact of over 50G, requiring a medical check up,” read a statement from Williams.

“An impact of this magnitude is obviously significant and severe and he will need to be evaluated again tomorrow before we will know whether he is clear to race.

“Franco’s health is all that matters and we are glad he is otherwise okay. We will provide further updates when we can,” the team concluded.

Read also: Williams rebuild effort for Las Vegas proves ‘what team is made of'

While the impact left Colapinto battered and bruised, his Williams car came off the worse for wear, with all four corners of the FW16 severely damaged in the crash.

Williams’ crews had yet to undertake a proper assessment of the car’s damages, but the incident follows a devastating crash-laden weekend in Brazil earlier this month.

In Sao Paulo, Alex Albon heavy crash in FP1 sidelined the Anglo-Thai racer for Sunday’s event while Colapinto crashed in qualifying and then again in the race.

Williams deployed all its resources to repair its cars in time for this weekend’s round of racing in Las Vegas only for the team to be burdened with another rebuild, assuming the British outfit has the proper spares available in Las Vegas to conduct repairs.

Needless to say, the succession of crashes has also impacted Williams financially, with the most recent busts in Sao Paulo draining several million dollars from the team’s capped budget.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.