Who is Franco Colapinto, the Argentine who will make an important step in F1 after 20 years without local drivers

The 21-year-old from Pilar will compete in the first free practice sessions of the British Grand Prix for the British Williams Racing team.

Franco Colapinto the pilot who will represent Argentina again in the Formula 1 after more than 20 years, since then the latter is Gastón Mazzacanewho raced with Minardi and Prost between 2000 and 2001. The 21-year-old from Pilar, who has put together outstanding performances in F2 and last weekend finished second in the Austrian Grand Prix, will be part of the Williams Racing team in the first free practice sessions of the British GP.

His arrival in F2 took place last year, then in 2022 he stood in Formula 3, the third most important category in the world, with Williams. Perhaps when he takes to the track at Silverstone he will fulfill one of his dreams, despite that fact He was already in an F1 car when he took part in the Rookie Test which took place at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The relationship with cars goes back many years because When he was 4, his father gave him a quadricycle, which made him a fan of irons.. “I bought bigger and bigger quads. I wanted to go to TC races because my old man had a team until I started karting when I was 10.”he admitted TN a while ago.

In 2013 he began to stand in international karting competitions, until In 2018 he had the great opportunity to enter a Spanish Formula 4 car where he competed in the last two races of the competition.. The results? He finished second in the penultimate race and eventually won. There is no doubt about his great qualities.

In 2020, Colapinto had a remarkable season in the Toyota Racing Series as he was the best of the rookies, while later that year finished 3rd in the Formula Renault Eurocup Championship with MP Motorsport.

2021 was very eventful for the Argentine, who was 3rd in the Asian Le Mans Series Championship, 4th in the European Le Mans Series and also competed in the European Formula Regional (FRECA) with 2 wins. Meanwhile, in the endurance categories he also showed all his talent, fighting for victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP2 class and doing a very good job in the European Le Mans Series (G-Drive Racing).

Finally, before jumping to F2, he scored points in 14 out of 18 races and collected 56.70% of his team’s units, which He finished third in the Team Championships, and fourth in the drivers’ standings.

After Williams announced its Formula 1 test this weekend, the Pilar native acknowledged: “I have a lot of emotions. I am very happy and it is a very important moment in my life and in my career. I will be as prepared as I can, I will do many laps in the simulator and I will study the details needed to drive the car this year, I have a lot of “Looking forward to experiencing the new car after driving it last year in Abu Dhabi.”.

Colapinto is the main candidate to once again represent the country in the most relevant motorsport category in the world. and this Friday he will take an important step towards fulfilling that goal, a wish that fans have been waiting for since 2001, when Mazzacane left the category.

The Williams driver is clear that behind his dream there are many expectations. “Being able to drive a car on a track like Silverstone is a privilege. It’s one of my favorite circuits and driving it in the team’s home race means a lot to all Argentina fans. It’s an important moment for our country and I am very grateful for all the support I have received!he concluded while announcing his team.

Therefore, if the possible promotion of Colapinto becomes reality, it will not only mark his career forever, but will also keep national motorsports in suspense after Pechito López stayed at the door between 2005 and 2006, because the Brazilian president from Renault gave the opportunity to his countryman, Nelson Piquet Jr.

If the goal is achieved, the name of the Buenos Aires native will be added to a prestigious list that includes Juan Manuel Fangiofive times champion of the competition and considered one of the best in history, in addition to glories such as José FroIlán González, Oscar Gálvez or Carlos Reutemann.