“I’m happy with the result”: Franco Colapinto looks back on F1 debut after midseason call-up by Williams

Franco Colapinto said that the 2024 Italian GP was a good debut race at the Monza circuit. Speaking to the media, including Sportskeeda after the race, the newly recruited Williams driver felt finishing 12th was a decent result, considering the late call to replace Logan Sergeant.

The former F3 driver was unfamiliar with most of the tire compounds and procedures at his debut race. With Sergeant getting axed after the Dutch GP, Franco Colapinto was announced between the doubleheader. With no preparation and no understanding of the car, the Williams debutant managed to finish only two places behind Alex Albon.

He felt his first race was extremely positive given that he had never driven more than eight laps in a race. The 21-year-old started 18th on the grid and managed to surge to 12th place.

Asked by Sportskeeda about how he felt about his first race, Franco Colapinto said:

“Very positive. I am happy, of course, with the result, but mostly happy with the pace. It was a question mark. I have never done more than eight laps in a row before this, and inside I had been over 53. And I never tried a hard compound as well. So a lot of new things, the engineers stayed with me during all the session and they helped me a lot with the tools to keep the DRS under control. And it was very positive. I'm happy, of course, with the performance. I need to keep working.”

“We have now a lot of information to take on to the factory, take on to the simulator and understand better in what do I need to work. So I think it's very good first race, more than positive. Very happy physically, I felt good. Very hot day but I am feeling good with the car. It is always tough, your first race, many unknown things, which we managed well. And finishing a seconds outside the points was decent. So happy I think we have a good chance on the next nine races to do our job," Franco Colapinto added.

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Franco Colapinto believes the break after Italian GP will allow him to return stronger in Azerbaijan

With a mid-season call, no preparation, and a jump from an F3 car to an F1 car, Franco Colapinto did his best to make the best out of his first F1 outing. Although he was familiar with the Monza circuit, the Baku Street circuit remains an unknown area. Therefore, the William debutante felt that the break after the Italian GP would allow him to arrive at the next race venue better prepared.

Franco Colapinto felt that the familiarity with the Monza circuit made it a good venue for a debut. However, he felt the call was too late allowing him no room to prepare in a simulator and learn various procedures with the car and at the race weekend. The Argentinian felt the break would also allow him to rest and recover physically from his first long race outing.

Asked how important was the two-week break between Monza and Baku, Franco Colapinto said:

“Good. Time to recover. First the body and then time to prepare well back. It's a track that I don't know and it will be tough and it will be a challenge. I know that. But now at least it's only one thing to learn. I already know the car from this weekend. So it was a good weekend to do your debut, you know. I knew the track well, so it was only one thing to learn. Next weekend in Baku will be also one thing to learn that is a track.”

“It's a tough one, but now I have, I think, time enough to do a good prep in the simulator, to spend time with engineers, but of course the time was very limited, no, coming into this race. The call was very late and I couldn't do a good prep. But into the next few races, I think I'm going to be able to nail it on that, and I'm going to arrive a bit more prepared overall with the car, the settings, procedures and all those areas," he added.

Franco Colapinto crossed the finish line behind Daniel Ricciardo in 13th place. However, the RB driver was demoted to 13th place as a result of the ten-second penalty slap added to his time, which allowed the Williams driver to be promoted to 12th place.

Currently, Williams has scored six points and is ninth in the constructors championship. Colapinto is currently 21st in the drivers' standings, which is just ahead of bottom-placed Valtteri Bottas.

Among other drivers, Charles Leclerc, who registered his second race win of the season in Monza, is third with 217 points to his name, 24 behind second-ranked Lando Norris, who finished third at the Italian GP. Oscar Piastri was the runner up in Monza, and he is currently fourth in the standings.

Max Verstappen finished sixth but he maintains a comfortable lead at the top of the table with 303 points, 62 ahead of Lando Norris.