The CEO of Mercedes, Toto Wolff, analyzed the impact of young drivers in the category. In an interview, he mentioned Franco Colapinto alongside other promising talents like the Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli and the British Oliver Bearman.
Colapinto, who made a great impression at Williams last year, is currently a reserve driver at Alpine. His performance in the tests positions him as a future option within the team.
Franco Colapinto habló de su breve romance con la China Suárez
Toto Wolff's words about Colapinto
Wolff highlighted the emerging talent and the quick adaptation of new drivers in Formula 1. "When everyone saw Bearman's great performance with Ferrari in Saudi Arabia, many teams started to wonder where he was before. That's when they realized that the level of these young drivers is very high," the Austrian expressed.
He then referred to the Argentine: "They brought Colapinto up at Williams and, to everyone's surprise, he performed extraordinarily, even on par with Alex Albon. I think that's why there's so much trust in young drivers. They are capable of doing well."
Currently, the 19-year-old Buenos Aires driver is a substitute at Alpine, where the main seats are occupied by Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan. However, there are rumors that Colapinto could fight for a spot if the Australian doesn't achieve good results in the season.
Alpine defended Doohan amid rumors
Amid the speculations, the director of Alpine, Oliver Oakes, backed Doohan and criticized the "media noise." "I think the journalists grilled him quite hard about that, and it's not fair," he stated in a conversation with Motorsport.
Oakes also praised the Australian's work in the preseason. "Franco is a popular driver and people want to see him in the car, but Jack did a good job in Abu Dhabi and in Bahrain he was ready to perform immediately."
Oliver Oakes respaldó a Doohan
When the 2024 Formula 1 season starts
Formula 1 will kick off next March 16 with the Australian Grand Prix, at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne. Colapinto will be alert, waiting for his opportunity to showcase his talent in the top category of motorsport.
