Photo: @FranColapinto
Williams have confirmed Franco Colapinto will drive for the team in the opening practice session for Sunday's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Colapinto, who hails from Pilar, near Buenos Aries, has been a Williams junior driver since January 2023 and represented the legendary British outfit in last November's young driver test at Abu Dhabi, completing 65 laps.
Alongside his commitments at Williams, Colapinto has been racing in the Formula 2 championship for MP Motorsport and is currently sixth in the drivers' standings, with a Sprint race win at Imola to his credit.
Williams' second driver, Logan Sargeant, will make way for Colapinto. The American has yet to open his account in 2024 amidst growing rumors he will likely leave Formula 1 at the end of the season.
"I have so many emotions," said Colapinto in a Williams press release. "I am extremely delighted, and it's a very important moment in my life and my career. I will be the most prepared I can; I will be doing a lot of laps in the simulator and studying the details needed to drive this year's car.
"I’m really looking forward to experiencing the new car after driving last year's in Abu Dhabi. To be able to drive it at a track like Silverstone is a privilege, it is one of my favourite tracks, and to drive it at the team's home race means a lot."
In the 1950s, the country ruled the roost in the sport, with Juan Manuel Fangio winning five world championships between 1951 and 1957 for Alfa Romeo, Mercedes, Ferrari, and finally Maserati.
Fangio's compatriot Jose Froilan Gonzalez also tasted victory in F1, winning the 1951 British GP for Ferrari, the team's first in F1.
Following Fangio's retirement in 1958, Argentina would have to wait 14 years for their next top-line driver to arrive when Carlos Reutemann from Sante Fe took pole for the 1972 Argentinian GP.
In a 12-year F1 career, Reutemann tasted victory 12 times but cruelly lost the 1981 world championship by one point to Brazilian Nelson Piquet in Las Vegas.
Reutemann retired from F1 in 1982. He became governor of Sante Fe twice and was a senator for the province until his untimely death in 2021 at the age of 79.
Fangio's protege Oscar Larrauri returned Argentina to the F1 grid in 1988. He completed an unsuccessful two-year stint at the Swiss Eurobrun team, where he only qualified for eight GPs.
Norberto Fontana was the next Argentinian to debut in F1, being drafted into the Sauber team for four rounds in 1997, achieving a best result of ninth in Britain and Germany.
Esteban Tuero turned heads when he was signed to drive for Minardi in 1998 but failed to secure a superlicence over the winter after failing all the requirements.
Eventually, Tuero was granted one, and he made his debut at the 1998 Australian GP at the age of 19, becoming the third youngest driver to start an F1 race at the time. Despite qualifying an impressive 17th for his debut in Australia, Tuero failed to score a point all season before returning to Argentina in 1999.
Currently, Gaston Mazzacane is the last Argentinian to have raced in F1, spending two seasons at Minardi and Prost before being dismissed by the latter following the 2001 San Marino GP.
Alongside his commitments at Williams, Colapinto has been racing in the Formula 2 championship for MP Motorsport and is currently sixth in the drivers' standings, with a Sprint race win at Imola to his credit.
Williams' second driver, Logan Sargeant, will make way for Colapinto. The American has yet to open his account in 2024 amidst growing rumors he will likely leave Formula 1 at the end of the season.
"I have so many emotions," said Colapinto in a Williams press release. "I am extremely delighted, and it's a very important moment in my life and my career. I will be the most prepared I can; I will be doing a lot of laps in the simulator and studying the details needed to drive this year's car.
"I’m really looking forward to experiencing the new car after driving last year's in Abu Dhabi. To be able to drive it at a track like Silverstone is a privilege, it is one of my favourite tracks, and to drive it at the team's home race means a lot."
Argentina's long history with Formula 1
Despite not having a Grand Prix since 1998, Argentina retains a rich history in Formula 1 and has produced some of the sport's finest drivers.In the 1950s, the country ruled the roost in the sport, with Juan Manuel Fangio winning five world championships between 1951 and 1957 for Alfa Romeo, Mercedes, Ferrari, and finally Maserati.
Fangio's compatriot Jose Froilan Gonzalez also tasted victory in F1, winning the 1951 British GP for Ferrari, the team's first in F1.
Following Fangio's retirement in 1958, Argentina would have to wait 14 years for their next top-line driver to arrive when Carlos Reutemann from Sante Fe took pole for the 1972 Argentinian GP.
In a 12-year F1 career, Reutemann tasted victory 12 times but cruelly lost the 1981 world championship by one point to Brazilian Nelson Piquet in Las Vegas.
Reutemann retired from F1 in 1982. He became governor of Sante Fe twice and was a senator for the province until his untimely death in 2021 at the age of 79.
Fangio's protege Oscar Larrauri returned Argentina to the F1 grid in 1988. He completed an unsuccessful two-year stint at the Swiss Eurobrun team, where he only qualified for eight GPs.
Norberto Fontana was the next Argentinian to debut in F1, being drafted into the Sauber team for four rounds in 1997, achieving a best result of ninth in Britain and Germany.
Esteban Tuero turned heads when he was signed to drive for Minardi in 1998 but failed to secure a superlicence over the winter after failing all the requirements.
Eventually, Tuero was granted one, and he made his debut at the 1998 Australian GP at the age of 19, becoming the third youngest driver to start an F1 race at the time. Despite qualifying an impressive 17th for his debut in Australia, Tuero failed to score a point all season before returning to Argentina in 1999.
Currently, Gaston Mazzacane is the last Argentinian to have raced in F1, spending two seasons at Minardi and Prost before being dismissed by the latter following the 2001 San Marino GP.
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