Franco Colapinto got behind the wheel for Williams during first practice at the British Grand Prix on Friday. The Formula 2 driver was given the chance to drive Logan Sargeant’s car during the 60-minute session.
Colapinto was one of three current F2 stars who took part, alongside Oliver Bearman (who’s just been confirmed as a 2025 Haas driver) and Red Bull academy member Isack Hadjar. Alpine reserve Jack Doohan was also in action.
The 25-year-old became the first Argentine to participate in an F1 session since Gaston Mazzacane at the start of the millennium. He set the 18th fastest time, finishing between Doohan and Hadjar in the order.
Colapinto’s 1:29.078 was around six-tenths of a second slower than Alex Albon managed in the other car. His focus for the rest of the weekend will switch back to F2, where he’ll be gunning for a second victory of the season to improve on his current rank of fifth in the championship.
His outing comes amid uncertainty over the identity of Albon’s teammate next year. Williams had been poised to announce Carlos Sainz, but he now looks set to join Alpine instead.
They’ve also looked at two race-winners in Esteban Ocon and Valtteri Bottas. But with five midfield teams still trying to fill seats, there’s plenty of competition, and one solution could be to promote from within.
Jenson Button says Franco Colapinto has a ‘real shot’ at Williams seat
Speaking during Sky Sports F1’s coverage of FP1, 2009 world champion Jenson Button stressed the importance of Colapinto’s run. He feels that Williams would have been observing his performance with particular interest.
Button believes that this was more than just a box-ticking exercise for James Vowles. Teams are obliged to run a young driver in their car for two FP1 sessions over the course of a season.
The 15-time Grand Prix winner thinks that Colapinto has a ‘real shot’ at securing a drive in the ‘short term’. Significantly, he’s a Williams employee himself, having taken on an advisory role in 2021.
“Maybe this is for the future,” he said. “This is an important test. He’s out there alongside Alex. They will definitely be judging how well he’s going.
“I know that all young driver tests should be about them working with that team in the future. I think this is shorter-term than most.”
Logan Sargeant nears IndyCar move
It shouldn’t be seen as particularly damning that Sargeant had to step aside for Colapinto. Teams have to field a youngster in both cars at some stage, which means Albon will eventually be on the sidelines too, just like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
But at this stage, Sargeant appears to be a lame duck in the second seat. He’s out of contract at the end of the season and there’s been little indication that he’s in talks over an extension.
While he has held some discussions with Haas, the likelihood is that he continues his racing career in a different series. One journalist has claimed he could announce a move to IndyCar before the summer break.
Sargeant’s predominant struggles in F1 may give Williams second thoughts about hiring Colapinto. He too impressed at F2 level, finishing fourth in the championship in 2022, but he still hasn’t managed to beat Albon in a Grand Prix qualifying session, while only scoring one point.
Ted Kravitz says ‘it’s a matter of opinion’ whether Sargeant will even see out the season. They could potentially evaluate Colapinto after the summer break if they do make a change, though Kimi Antonelli may be a likelier solution.
The post 'This is for the future': Williams employee names driver with 'real shot' at replacing Logan Sargeant appeared first on F1 Oversteer.
