Argentina’s rising star: Who is Franco Colapinto?

Franco Colapinto will become the first Argentinian driver to take part in a Formula 1 weekend in two decades when he takes part in FP1 at Silverstone.

The 21-year-old Argentine racing driver officially joined our Williams Racing Driver Academy books in early 2023 and is continuing to develop with solid performances at the F2 level.

In Sunday’s Feature Race at Spielberg, Franco secured P2 and the Fastest Lap to step onto the podium with MP Motorsport, bringing in 19 crucial points to go joint-fourth in the standings at the halfway point.

So ahead of his appearance at the “Home of British Motorsport”, we are going to give you the lowdown on one of the rising stars that is coming through our academy…

Franco’s talent was clear when he began karting at the age of nine and took the scene by storm, winning the Argentinian Championship in 2016 and then again in 2018.

Impressive performances started his European single-seat career that same year, as he entered the final round of the FIA Spanish F4 season, taking a victory and a second place in a weekend to remember.

Fernando Alonso's FA Racing by Drivex team scouted Franco and signed him up for the 2019 season. It was a solid match as he achieved 11 victories, 13 podiums, and 10 pole positions to be crowned the Spanish F4 champion in his rookie season with a vast 98-point margin over P2.

The buzz was reaching all-time levels for the youngster, who was quickly becoming a name to keep an eye on in the rising ranks of motorsport.

The jump to F3 can be treacherous. However, 2020 and 2021 were crucial in Franco’s development as he continued to gain plenty of experience in regional-level racing series before making the step to FIA F3.

Franco started his 2020 season as he meant to go on, securing his second single-seater title after taking the rookie championship win in the 2020 New Zealand-based Toyota Racing Series over the winter.

He returned to Europe to compete in the Formula Renault Eurocup with MP Motorsport over the summer, ending with two race wins and nine podiums to finish third in the championship as the highest-ranked rookie.

In 2021, Franco raced in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine with MP Motorsport, where he achieved two wins, both of which were Grand Slams, and a further two podium finishes.

He also spread his motorsport wings a little in 2021, doing a dual campaign in LMP2 machinery in the European Le Mans Series, sharing the car with drivers including Nyck de Vries, taking a victory, pole, and a podium in the six-round season.

For the 2022 season, Franco moved into FIA F3 with Van Amersfoort Racing, chasing his childhood dream to reach the pinnacle of motor racing, Formula 1.

The Argentinian immediately made his mark by taking pole position in his first-ever FIA F3 Qualifying and went on to win two races and five podiums in his rookie year.

In January 2023, Franco joined our Williams Racing Driver Academy Programme and went on to compete in the FIA Formula 3 Championship.

He had a successful sophomore season, winning two Sprint Races at Silverstone and Monza to finish fourth in the standings.

In October 2023, it was announced that Franco would graduate to FIA Formula 2 in 2024 with MP Motorsport, with a cameo appearance in the series at the 2023 season finale in Abu Dhabi. We kept Franco busy on his UAE trip by putting him in the FW45 for the post-season test, an experience he was ‘over the moon’ about.

He has continued to make his mark, with his first race win in F2 at Imola in the Sprint Race when he intelligently used DRS to get alongside and pass Paul Aron at Tamburello on the final lap.

It was a sign of more to come from Franco, who has proceeded to become more accustomed to his F2 chassis taking back-to-back P2 finishes in Feature Races at Barcelona and Spielberg.

It goes without saying we are very happy with Franco’s progress at the Williams Racing Driver Academy.

At 21, he has proved his worth at the junior levels of motorsport, made his mark in F3 and is now competing at the top of F2 - a breeding ground for the very best of F1.

Now, we are pleased to introduce him to the world of F1 at Williams Racing as he enters the cockpit of the FW46 for FP1 of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.