Franco Colapinto began karting at nine and quickly made a name for himself by winning the Argentinian Championship in 2016 and 2018. His European single-seater journey started in 2018 when he joined the final round of the FIA Spanish F4 season, securing a win and a second-place finish. Recognising his potential, Fernando Alonso‘s team, FA Racing by Drivex, signed Franco for the 2019 season.
| Nationality | Argentinian |
|---|---|
| Born | Franco Alejandro Colapinto 27 May 2003 Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
In 2019, Franco dominated the Spanish F4 Championship with eleven wins, 13 podium finishes, and ten pole positions, earning him the title. He continued his impressive performance in 2020 by winning the rookie championship in the Castrol Toyota Racing Series, with one race win, a pole position, and eight more podiums.
Later in 2020, Franco returned to Europe to compete in the Formula Renault Eurocup with MP Motorsport, where he secured two race wins and nine podiums, finishing third in the championship as the highest-ranked rookie. In 2021, he raced in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine with MP Motorsport, achieving two Grand Slams, an additional victory, and a podium finish.
In 2022, Franco advanced to FIA F3 with Van Amersfoort Racing, pursuing his dream of reaching Formula 1. He made an immediate impact by securing pole position in his first FIA F3 Qualifying and went on to win two races and achieve five podium finishes in his rookie year.
January 2023 marked Franco’s entry into the Williams Racing Driver Academy Programme, where he competed in the FIA Formula 3 Championship. He had a successful second season, winning two sprint races at Silverstone and Monza and finishing fourth in the overall standings.
In October 2023, it was announced that Franco would move up to FIA Formula 2 in 2024 with MP Motorsport. He made his F2 debut with the team at the final round of the 2023 season in Abu Dhabi, performing well as he prepared for the next season of his career with the Williams Racing Driver Academy.
Starting from the 2024 Italian Grand Prix, Franco was called up by the Williams F1 team in the remaining nine races of the 2024 Championship. He became the 49th Grand Prix driver for Williams Racing, the first Argentine driver in F1 in 23 years, and the second Argentine to race for the British team, following Carlos Reutemann.
Sources: Williams Racing
