Colapinto: Williams F1 stint still a “dream come true” despite difficult end

Franco Colapinto has labelled his nine-race System 1 cameo as a “dream” regardless of his powerful finish to the 2024 season with Williams.

Colapinto was drafted in by Williams to interchange the underperforming Logan Sargeant after the Dutch Grand Prix, making his debut at Monza in September.

The 21-year-old shone on his first couple of races with the group, scoring 5 factors with an eighth-place end in Baku and tenth in Austin.

Following that honeymoon interval, the going bought more durable for each Colapinto and Williams as a brace of pricey crashes in Brazil and Las Vegas dampened the thrill round his arrival, discouraging Pink Bull from making a transfer for him after contemplating the Argentinian for one in every of its seats in 2025.

However regardless of a tricky ending to the marketing campaign, with two retirements in Qatar and Abu Dhabi past his management, Colapinto pointed to the positives.

“It hasn’t been the top of the season I needed but it surely’s a part of System 1,” stated Colapinto, whose future is unsure with Carlos Sainz becoming a member of Alex Albon at Williams subsequent season.

“It nonetheless was my dream come true and it was a tremendous expertise. I would really like it far more if we might have ended as we began, but it surely’s F1.

“Since I used to be very younger, I used to be ready for this chance and dealing in the direction of it and it is simply been a particularly good expertise and really good moments with the group. Very grateful for the group.”

Analysing his personal performances, Colapinto rued his avoidable Q2 accident in Las Vegas however stated he was in any other case happy with what he has achieved to date.

“Since I began in Monza, I needed to be taught lots and I needed to maintain transferring ahead,” he stated.

“I feel it is plenty of ‘you’re pretty much as good as your final race’, that is how System 1 works. However wanting on the greater image, I feel I did a fairly good job.

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“I attempted to maximise the chance that Williams gave me. It was an unimaginable probability and I feel one thing I respect lots.

“The primary 5 rounds have been actually, actually good. After which I feel it was one other problem for Brazil with the inters for the primary time, the primary time in an F1 automotive within the rain.

“It was a tricky expertise, however I needed to undergo these moments, I feel, as a rookie.

“Vegas was fairly powerful. Being powerful on myself, I feel it was a fairly large mistake going for it within the final lap, making an attempt to place the automotive in Q3.

“That is the place I look again and I simply suppose that some errors might have been averted, however I feel wanting on the general image and the expertise was my dream come true.”

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