Double Announcement for Franco Colapinto
Franco Colapinto has joined the Williams driver academy, and in a double announcement, has signed with MP Motorsport for the 2023 F3 season. The Argentine racer finished 9th in his debut F3 season, securing two wins and five podium finishes, racing for Van Amersfoort Racing. Fellow Williams driver Zak O’Sullivan will join him in the race for the series title in 2023 after his move to Prema was confirmed in late 2022.
The 19-year-old fills the gap vacated by Logan Sargeant, following his promotion to F1 after the Abu Dhabi GP. He will be the fifth member of the academy, joining the likes of Jamie Chadwick, Roy Nissany, Ollie Grey and the aforementioned O’Sullivan.
He joins another Dutch team in F3, MP Motorsport, who finished 4th in the constructors in 2022, with a lineup of Caio Collet, Kush Maini and Alexander Smolyar. Finishing the season two places higher than Colapinto’s former team VAR.
Colapinto stated, “It’s a real honour to join Williams Racing as an Academy Driver, they are one of the most successful teams in Formula 1 history and I am looking forward to following in the footsteps of my fellow countryman Carlos Reutemann”.
Williams Sporting Director, Sven Smeets, has reportedly kept tabs on the versatile 19-year-old for a long time and is delighted to be able to welcome him into the team.
“He had a standout rookie season in Formula 3 with several strong performances that led to podiums and wins. We look forward to working closely with Franco to support and nurture his development as a driver.”
Sven Smeets, Williams Sporting Director on the signing of Franco Colapinto.