Franco Colapinto says that his crash in FP1 in Baku had a positive outcome as the Williams Formula 1 crew gave him a “big confidence boost” and “energy” after repairing his FW46.
Colapinto had a heavy impact with the wall on Friday as he undertook his first ever laps of a track that was new to him.
Such a crash could have seen him taking a more subdued approach to the rest of the weekend, but in fact it had the opposite affect for a man who has impressed the team with his glass half full attitude.
The car was repaired in time for FP2, and the rookie repaid the team with a sensational qualifying session that saw him eighth, sixth and ninth across the three sessions. He starts one place ahead of team mate Alex Albon.
“Yeah, it was difficult,” he said when asked by the writer about the setback of the early crash.
“But more difficult it was going to be if I couldn’t do FP2. And luckily, the boys in the garage did an amazing job to put the car back out. They didn’t even have lunch, but they were working flat out to put my car out in FP2.
“And after they did that, they gave me a big confidence boost and a lot of energy to try and achieve a good result for them, for the effort that they have been doing this year, and it was nice today to give them back a little bit of what they gave me.
“So very happy about it. Of course, it’s still a long way to go, but it’s always important moment for you to be in Q3. And I did very good laps, every lap was on it.”
Remarkably for his second ever f1 start Colapinto will line up on the grid directly behind World Champions Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso.
“Looking forward to tomorrow,” he said. “I think I’m going to have to practice a few stars to have it a better launch than them! Luckily it is a short straight until Turn 1.
“But I am very excited, it’s an amazing moment, my first Q3, and I am very happy about it, to be honest.
“It’s a moment every driver dreams of, and I achieved it in my second weekend in F1 so I can’t be any more happy.
“It was a very good session. I think we put the laps in, every time I had to go out, we did a very good job as a team. Of course, I would have been good to finish in front of the Aston [of Alonso], maybe, but we did a little step on the setup to see what we can do.
“If it will be in a little bit, a little bit more for the last run on the new tyres, but it didn’t really work out, the rears, they didn’t stay alive for the whole lap. But I think the team did an amazing job to put the two cars in Q3. three.
“It’s a very important moment for Williams. It’s, for me, a dream come true after yesterday’s contact with the wall it was going to be tough, but I think we did very good comeback.”
Colapinto acknowledged that the Azerbaijan GP is rarely uneventful.
“This race is always a drama,” he said. “So let’s see how it is tomorrow. It’s my first race here, first time I’ve been in Baku. So everything is going very quick. I don’t know either the next six races.
“It’s going to be a challenge, at the end of the year. But I am up to the challenge, and I am very happy to be here, and, of course, extremely grateful Williams for this opportunity.”
Adam Cooper F1 