Franco Colapinto showed all his talent in just his third Formula 1 race, finishing 11th in the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday. The Pilar native was able to fend off the challenge of the extreme weather and was in the fight for points once again, just one position away from the last slot awarding them.
The 21-year-old had looked disappointed following Saturday’s qualifying, where he was just 0.03 seconds from getting into the top ten, ending up 12th.
However, he made up for it in Sunday’s race. Despite starting the race from the “dirty” part of the track — outside the most used racing line, a place that accumulates debris and dirt — Colapinto was able to launch his car fast and then take advantage of being on the inside line of the track to brake late and win several positions.
Not everyone was happy with the move. The Argentine’s teammate, Thailand’s Alex Albon, protested the move, arguing that he was forced out of the track as a result. He dropped to 15th before eventually retiring the car due to overheating.
Colapinto’s great launch left him in a duel with Red Bull’s driver Sergio “Checo” Pérez for the ninth position. The experienced Mexican driver was unable to make a move on Colapinto, which prompted him to admit to his mechanic the Pilar native’s skills: “He’s very good, it’s hard to pass Colapinto.”
However, the Argentine lost most of his gains as the pit stops came around. Climbing as high as sixth at one point, he was unable to make much time on his worn out tires and a slow three seconds stop by Williams saw him drop to 11th.
Colapinto was able to hold on to that position until the checkered flag to achieve his second-best finish in a grand prix and the third consecutive race he finished ahead of his starting position.
“I did my best, I think I did everything well enough,” said Colapinto after the race. “We stopped too late. I think if we hadn’t, Pérez wouldn’t have passed me and I could’ve held him off.”
With temperatures reaching 30°C in Singapore, the race is one of the most demanding in the F1 calendar, offering a great physical challenge for the drivers. Despite having never raced there before, Colapinto was able to mount a challenge.
“I had a hard time, particularly when we switched to the hard tires. I think I was closer to the limit than the car ever was,” said the Argentine driver, visibly exhausted. He also admitted he was disappointed in not having earned points for the championship in such a demanding race.
Colapinto also spoke about Pérez’s compliments, admitting he used to get up early in the mornings when he was a kid living in Argentina to follow the Mexican’s races. “Checo is a great driver, he couldn’t pass me because of the track’s layout, but he would’ve done it anywhere else,” he said.
The F1 circus is now going on a three week break. The next stop will be the United States GP, at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas. The race is set to take place on October 20, with the first session of free practices starting on the 18.