Barring something unexpected, this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be the last Formula 1 race for Franco Colapinto, at least for a while.
Colapinto exploded on the F1 scene following a shocking mid-season promotion at Williams, as the team slid him into a seat alongside Alexander Albon, in place of Logan Sargeant. Colapinto responded with a string of strong performances including points in his second F1 race, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and was soon linked with full-time spots at both Sauber and potentially Red Bull.
However, Sauber eventually announced that Gabriel Bortoleto would be driving for them alongside Nico Hülkenberg, and rumors of a shocking move to Red Bull have been dispelled in recent days. That means that Sunday’s Grand Prix will mark his final F1 race, at least until he earns an expected promotion in the future.
In the team’s media preview of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Colapinto thanked Williams for a “dream come true.”
“As we head into the final race of the season, I’d like to thank the entire team for this incredible opportunity and for all their support across these nine races. It’s been a dream come true to race in Formula 1 with Williams. I’ll be trying my hardest to end the season on a high for the team trackside and back at the factory,” said Colapinto in the Williams media preview. “Everyone at Williams has given their all throughout the season and their hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. The aim in Abu Dhabi is to have a clean weekend, build up throughout the sessions and [maximize] our performance.”
Colapinto is not the only young driver who will suit up for Williams this weekend. Luke Browning will participate in FP1 as part of the sport’s mandated rookie driver sessions. Browning is a member of the team’s Driver Academy, finished third in the F3 Drivers’ Championship, and is currently participating in F2 with ART Grand Prix.
Browning will also drive for Williams in the post-season young driver testing sessions at Yas Marina.
“I can’t wait to get on track in the FW46 and drive a Williams F1 car for the very first time. It’s a huge moment for my career and a privilege to be able to experience this generation of Formula 1 cars at a track like Abu Dhabi,” said Browning. “The team and I have put a lot of preparation into this session and will make the most of every lap to learn as much as possible. Thank you to the whole team at Williams for this amazing opportunity.”
As for the veteran of the group, Albon is hoping to end the season on a strong note, to give Williams some momentum into 2025.
“We arrive in Abu Dhabi this weekend for the 2024 finale, following what has felt like a long and challenging season,” said Albon. “The team has given it their all, and I’m grateful to every single one of them for working tirelessly throughout the year to get us on track, even during the toughest times. We’ve experienced both highs and lows, but that’s all part of racing. As a team we’ve learned lessons which we can carry into 2025 with the hope of a stronger season.
“Our car didn’t perform as expected in Qatar, so hopefully those characteristics can be addressed at Yas Marina, and we can make good changes ahead of this weekend,” added Albon. “Our goal is to execute a clean weekend and extract as much performance as possible in this final round, taking some useful insights into next year’s car.”
Williams enters the weekend sitting ninth in the F1 Constructors’ Championship, 29 points behind eighth-place Visa Cash App RB F1 Team.
