Williams junior driver Franco Colapinto will become the first Argentinean to participate in a grand prix weekend for over two decades on Friday.
The 21-year-old, who is currently tied for fourth place in the Formula 2 standings with Zane Maloney, will drive in the first practice session at Silverstone.
He will take over Logan Sargeant’s car for the session, fulfilling one of Williams’ obligations to run an inexperienced driver in each of its chassis during a first practice session this year.
Colapinto was previously backed by two-times Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso. He joined Williams’ driver academy last year and won twice in Formula 3 on his way to fourth place in the championship.
He said he has to “keep pinching myself to make sure it’s really happening” after learning of his opportunity during a race weekend.
“One moment I am driving my F2 car, and the next minute I am told I get to take part in an F1 weekend. It is a dream come true and being able to do it in Silverstone makes it even more special.
“It’s not only the home race of Williams Racing, but also one of the greatest tracks to drive any car, let alone one the fastest race cars in the world. I am extremely happy and grateful to Williams for this opportunity, allowing me to take the wheel in only my second year in the Academy and my first season in F2.”
Colapinto previously tested for Williams at Yas Marina last year. He will be the first Argentinean driver to participate in an official F1 session since Gaston Mazzacane drove for Prost in the 2001 San Marino Grand Prix, before being replaced by Luciano Burti.
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2024 British Grand Prix
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