The Williams Racing Driver Academy announced on Tuesday, August 27, that academy driver and F2 racer Franco Colapinto will replace American Logan Sargeant at Williams from this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix and for the rest of the Formula One season.
This came after Sargeant failed to earn a point in 15 races this season and had a significant crash during the last practice session before the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort last Saturday, which prevented him from participating in the qualifying round.
Colapinto’s entry into Formula One makes him the first Argentine driver to compete in the sport in 23 years.
He also became the second Argentinian to join the Williams racing team, following in the footsteps of the late Carlos Reutemann, who raced for Williams until his retirement in 1982.
“To replace a driver mid-season is not a decision we have taken lightly, but we believe this gives Williams the best chance to compete for points over the remainder of the season,” said team boss James Vowles in a statement.
He continued, “We have just brought a large upgrade to the car and need to maximise every points-scoring opportunity in a remarkably tight midfield battle.”
Similarly, the 21-year-old Formula Two driver is a proud member of the esteemed Williams Academy. He marked a significant milestone in his career by impressively debuting in Friday practice for Formula One with the former champions at the renowned British Grand Prix in July.
“It is an honor to be making my Formula One debut with Williams, this is what dreams are made of,” Colapinto said, adding that he is up for a “challenge” knowing that “coming into F1 mid-season will be an enormous learning curve.”
