Williams rookie Franco Colapinto will navigate the final two races of the 2024 Formula 1 season with an older front suspension package on his FW46, following a lack of spare parts caused by his recent spate of crashes.
The latest incident, a heavy qualifying shunt in Las Vegas, forced the team to revert to its pre-September suspension design, first used earlier in the season.
This setback is a direct consequence of the team's challenging season, marked by numerous crashes and a lack of spare parts.
The newer front suspension design, originally intended for last September’s Dutch Grand Prix, was delayed due to these incidents.
“We are changing the suspension, the front suspension is different,” Colapinto confirmed in Qatar ahead of this weekend’s penultimate race.
“So, that's the old spec and some other things. But that's what it is, and we have to deal with that and try to do our best to maximise the car.
“It's part of the crashes we've been having the last few races.”
The impact of this change on performance is expected to be minimal, but it undoubtedly presents an additional challenge for the young Argentinean as he seeks to conclude his rookie season on a positive note.
Reflecting on his crash in Las Vegas, Colapinto explained the circumstances that led to his qualifying incident, suggesting that the intensity of Q2 pushed him to the edge.
“Q2 [there] put me in a situation of having to push the limits a little bit more than [in] other sessions,” he said.
“For my feeling, that's what put me in that situation of taking a bit more risk. And that was a bit too much risk at the end of the day.”
Despite the setback, Colapinto was pleased with his performance prior to the crash.
“I was feeling really good in qualifying, putting the laps in, and I was doing very good laps,” he said.
“Q1 was very strong, then Q2 was a very strong first lap as well. And I was doing a big step on the last run with the new tyres at the end.”
The rookie was philosophical about the incident, viewing it as part of the steep learning curve in his debut season. “But at the end these things happen, it's part of racing. Let’s see how it goes here,” he concluded.
As Williams works to regroup and provide its drivers with competitive machinery, Colapinto’s focus will be on maximizing his FW46’s potential in Qatar and the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
For the young driver, these final races offer a chance to demonstrate resilience and skill despite the challenges.
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