Argentine Williams driver Franco Colapinto pulled off a dream Formula 1 debut in the Italian Grand Prix held at the Autodromo Nacional in Monza on Sunday. Colapinto, the first Argentine motorist to run an F1 race in over 20 years, finished 12th, six places ahead of his starting position and just two away from the points.

Colapinto was coming off a somewhat disappointing Saturday. A solid showing in the last free practice — where he finished just 0.3 seconds off from teammate Alexander Albon — showed he had the pace to compete. However, a mistake in his last qualifying lap on Saturday cost him the opportunity to improve his time and start further up the grid: he finished 18th.

But on Sunday, the Pilar native showcased his consistent driving style. With the Williams F1 team running a one-stop strategy on both cars, a calm hand was needed to make tires last and avoid mistakes. Despite little practice with the hard compound tires, Colapinto was able to set fast and steady lap times, with his fastest lap time coming 0.2 seconds quicker than Albon’s. 

On lap 31, Colapinto exited the last turn of the circuit, the famed “Parabolica,” right behind Frenchman Pierre Gasly, took advantage of the DRS system — which allows drivers extra speed on designated spots of the track — and then dived to the inside of Gasly, breaking late to carry more speed into the first chicane.

“I’m old, my whole body hurts,” joked Colapinto after the race, admitting the stiffer F1 chassis and seat gave him a hard time physically. 

“I’m very happy, it was a good race. I’m still processing everything. It’s the kind of moment you’ll remember forever, your first F1 race. The whole weekend was a great experience, I’m thankful to the team; they helped me progress quickly and have a good pace.”

Colapinto admitted his frustration with Saturday’s qualification, but agreed his race pace made up for it and suggested he could have finished in a points position had he started further up the grid. The biggest challenge, however, is yet to come.

“I knew Monza was a circuit that would help me because I was already familiar with it,” the Argentine driver told the media after the race, “Of the eight remaining tracks, I’ve only ever raced in Abu Dhabi, but now I know the car and the team better, so that’s a step forward.”

Williams F1 team principal James Vowles agreed. The British engineer defended his decision to give the seat to Colapinto over the weekend, and congratulated the Argentine driver after the race, saying he “didn’t put a foot wrong” for what was a “fantastic first race.”

When does Franco Colapinto race again?

The next date in the Formula 1 season is the Azerbaijan GP, held at the Baku Street Circuit. Free practices start on September 13 at 6:30 a.m. Argentina time. The race will take place on September 15, starting at 8 a.m.

How did Colapinto become an F1 driver

Franco Colapinto’s F1 debut was a long time in the making. After rising through the ranks in the motorsport world, he joined the Williams Racing Driver Academy in 2023. That earned him a spot in F1’s Rookie Test at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi in November of that year. 

In 2024, he gained an impressive slew of victories racing for MP Motorsport in Formula 2: three podium finishes and a first race win at Imola in May. In July, Williams invited him to run in the Free Practice 1 at the British Grand Prix on Friday, where he managed to complete 25 laps, clocking in with a best time of 1:29.078, enough for 18th in the time sheet.

In August, Williams announced Colapinto would race with the team for the remainder of the 2024 F1 season.