Franco Colapinto’s simulator pace matched Albon’s, leaving Williams F1 unsurprised by his impressive performance in early tests.
James Vowles revealed that the main reason Williams F1 chose to replace Logan Sargeant with Franco Colapinto was the Argentine’s ability to deliver strong performances, rather than financial considerations.
“The reason we put him in the car is primarily because he’s part of our academy, and I believe in investing in our academy,” Vowles explained on the F1 Beyond the Grid podcast.
The Briton emphasized that finances were not Colapinto’s strong suit: “If I ask everyone to trace his career in as much detail as we have, and that’s why he’s here, you’ll see he’s never had tests or sometimes even simulator work to go along with it.”
“He went where the finances led him, and when he was in those teams, he did an incredible job with no mileage under his belt. In 2024, he began developing in Formula 2, and that’s why we rewarded him with the wheel for FP1 at Silverstone.”
But Colapinto immediately settled in during his first test, confirming his strong simulator numbers: “I was a bit surprised by how quickly he adapted. So, I talked to him about it. He was very relaxed.”
“He told me, ‘This may never happen again, so I’m just enjoying the moment.’ In the simulator world, he has the same pace as Alex. And it’s a good simulator, so we’re able to compare where we stand.”
During his debut in Italy, Colapinto gave a speech to the team, and Vowles recalled how he captivated them: “We had our first team talk with him at Monza, and he asked me what he should say. I told him, ‘Speak from your heart, you’re good at that, speak to the people.’ And that’s exactly what he did.”
“And there are two things I’d highlight. He was at home. He had a captive audience of the entire race team who wanted him to succeed, but I had to cut him off after four minutes because we were running out of time.”
“Because when he speaks from the heart, there’s a lot to say. But he’s at home. You don’t relax that quickly unless you’re confident in what you can do. And he’s grateful, incredibly grateful for this opportunity.”
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Rising Star Colapinto Rivals Albon’s Pace in Sim Tests Rising Star Colapinto Rivals Albon’s Pace in Sim Tests
