Argentine race driver Franco Colapinto had to retire from the Formula 1 Brazil Grand Prix after crashing in heavy rain conditions. It’s the first time the 21-year-old has retired from a race after completing his first five outings, a record for Argentine drivers in F1.

The weekend didn’t start the best way for Colapinto after his grandfather Leónidas died on Thursday, aged 89. However, he was cheered on by Argentine fans who traveled in the thousands to Sao Paulo to watch him race in the only South American race in the F1 calendar. Despite heavy rains, over 500 fans gathered on Saturday at the Parque Trianon in the city’s downtown to show their support for the Buenos Aires Province native with flags and drums.

On the track, however, the results were a mixed bag. On Friday, Colapinto had a solid free practice, then finished 14th in the sprint race qualifying. Early on Saturday, he placed 12th in the race, outside the points. 

With Saturday’s qualifying for the race called off due to heavy rain, the Argentine suffered a big shunt when the session finally set off early on Sunday and was eliminated in the first stint, finishing 18th. He was luckier than teammate Alex Albon, who qualified seventh but was unable to take part in the race, crashing heavily in his last outing which forced Williams Racing to announce mechanics were unable to fix his car in time for the race.

In the race, rain once again was a big factor. Several crashes and spins forced a delayed start. Colapinto was giving a solid performance and, at one point, got as high as 12th in what was his first experience running in wet track conditions and in Brazil.

The highlight of his race was his overtake on Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton on lap 12. The British driver, who spoke highly of the Argentine on Thursday, made a mistake and went off track. As he recovered, Colapinto lined up behind him in the main straight and launched into the first set of corners, known as the “Senna’s S”, matching Hamilton’s car and cleanly completing the move.

Heavier rains forced the organization to bring out a Safety Car in the 30th lap, and it was under these conditions that Colapinto’s run went awry. Two laps later, he slipped in one of the damp track areas and crashed heavily against one of the contention barriers.

He quickly told his team he was alright, but was preemptively taken to a Sao Paulo hospital as per F1 protocol following heavy crashes.

“I’m very sad,” said a visibly shaken Colapinto after the race. “I’m sorry for the team, they didn’t deserve this, they did a great job getting the car back on the track [after the morning crash].”

The Argentine driver added he’s looking forward to making a strong comeback at the next race and put a “very tough weekend” behind him.

The next outing for Williams F1 and Colapinto will be at the Las Vegas Grand Prix in the iconic U.S. city, on Sunday, November 24.