2024-09-13 03:01:00
Franco Colapinto is now part of the F1 circus. After his auspicious debut in Monza, the Argentine driver arrived in Baku, where practice for Sunday’s Grand Prix will begin on Friday. the first to be held on a street circuit, another unprecedented experience that the young man from Pilar will have to settle at top speed.
In his second race with Williams, Colapinto will be challenged much more than he was in his first Grand Prix, which took place on one of the circuits he knows best and which is less physically demanding. Now, although he completed his first full race, with 53 laps on the fast Italian track, The challenge is to adapt to a street circuit, one of the most demanding on the calendar and where a mistake is paid for with a hit on the wall.
“The goal is to move forward little by little,” the Argentine acknowledged in a joint press conference that he had alongside British Haas driver Oliver Bearman and Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu of Kick Sauber“I think it’s very similar to Monza. At Monza I didn’t know the car, now I don’t know the track, so it’s something to learn. I’ve been on a lot of street circuits, but I hope I’ve worked enough on the simulator to be at a fast pace,” said the Argentine.
In this sense, it will be an experience that will be repeated in future competitions, also on circuits where he has never raced. “The reality is that I don’t know the next seven tracks, and we know it’s going to be tough. It was part of the risk, but it’s also going to be a great experience.” “I want to know these last seven tracks where I didn’t race. I’m working hard and doing a lot of preparation to be ready,” he explained.
Of course, these tasks are not limited to the simulator, as he also needs to improve his physique to adapt to the demands of driving a Formula 1 car. After Monza, Colapinto admitted that he was very sore at the end, but he is confident that now, with more training time and modifications to the seat, these discomforts will be overcome. “I need to make changes to my body. The car seat is so rigid that I don’t think it has fully adapted to my body. We improved the seat, so that’s very good news.”he stressed.
Colapinto on the networks
Colapinto’s presence on social media distinguished his short career, with a lot of interaction with his fans and exposure that helped him to add new sponsors that made his arrival at Williams possible. But now with his mind on the Grand Prix, the driver himself acknowledged that he will try to expose himself less. “Argentine fans are incredible. Not all drivers interact with the fans, but I like to do it,” said the driver from Buenos Aires, who explained his decision. “But From now on, my community manager will be in charge of it. I’m already deleting all social media, so it will probably not be active anymore. My community manager will help me deal with that a bit more,” admitted the driver, who had earlier shown a bit of the team’s intimacy on the team’s social networks, when he offered mate to his mechanics.
“It’s warm. It wakes you up a little bit, it’s really good”He also criticized those who take it with sugar: “Some do, but sugar is not allowed”. He then took the traditional walking tour of the Baku street circuit, accompanied by Gaetan Jego, one of the team’s engineers. “Here we are. My first time in Baku, very excited about this. It’s an amazing circuit, my first street circuit that I’m going to drive in Formula 1″he said in the video he posted, where he also said: “I’m ready. So yes, let’s have a good weekend,” he wished himself.
This weekend’s activity for Colapinto will begin on Fridaywith the first two free practices, will continue on Saturday with free practice 3 and qualifying, and will culminate on Sunday with the race.