Episode in Imola: Dream debut makes the F1 world tilt
IMOLA PROGETRACK, Italy – A major upset happened in a closed test ahead of this weekend, when young talent Franco Colapinto overtook Pierre Gasly, leaving the legendary Flavio Briatore unable to hide his amazement.
While all eyes are on top racing teams like Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes, Colapinto, the Argentine riders from the Williams Academy, have become the center of attention when they perform beyond expectations at the separate test at IMOLA. In ideal weather conditions and with optimal technical support, Colapinto displayed impressive speed and stability, eventually beating experienced Alpine racer Pierre Gasly with a time of almost 0.3 seconds.
“He drove like someone who has been in F1 for many years,” said a team engineer.
And Flavio Briatore, Alpine’s senior advisor, wasn’t surprised to see Colapinto outperform Gasly in the 2024 F1 car.
This event not only serves as a testament to Colapinto’s talent, but also raises many questions about the future of Williams, where Logan Sargeant’s driver has yet to show much this season. The fact that Colapinto qualified in the technical test was seen as a “gentle reminder” of the team’s leadership to the factory driver.
It’s not just stopping at speed that makes experts impressive, however, is how Colapinto manages tires, communicates with engineers, and stays calm in complex situations – rare things for a racer newly launched in hostile environments like F1.
With tight schedules and high pressure, separate test sessions often go unreported, but this information has quickly spread across international F1 forums. Many fans have dubbed this “quiet revolution” at Imola.
Although there’s no official information on whether Colapinto has entered official competition this season, his recent excellent performance will surely draw racing teams to attention. Is this the beginning of a glorious F1 career? Only time will tell.
