F3 talent Colapinto goes to MP Motorsport and Williams Driver Academy

Williams has added Formula 3 driver Franco Colapinto to its Driver Academy. In a press release, the organisation announced that the 19-year-old Argentinian has been added to the team, and that he will compete for Dutch MP Motorsport in Formula 3 in 2023.

Colapinto first competed in Formula 3 for the Van Amersfoort Racing team in 2022. That season, he managed three podiums and two wins. Colapinto also managed to immediately capture pole position in his very first race. Colapinto finished the season ninth. This year, the Argentine will make the move to MP Motorsport, for which he also drove in the Formula Renault and Formula Regional European Championship competitions. In addition, Colapinto has also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and became champion in Spanish Formula 4.

The link with the Williams Driver Academy could be a promising prospect for Colapinto. Jamie Chadwick became a three-time W-Series champion as part of the Academy and recently made the move to Indy NXT. Lance Stroll, Nicholas Latifi and Logan Sargeant all managed to make the move to Formula 1 while they were part of the Academy.

'Good to have Franco back'

Commenting, Colapinto said he was looking forward to working with the two sides. "It’s a real honour to join Williams Racing Team as an Academy Driver. They are one of the most successful teams in Formula 1 history. It’s an incredible opportunity for which I am forever grateful. I am also excited that I will be back with MP Motorsport. I really enjoyed my time with the team in Formula Renault Eurocup and FRECA and we achieved some great results together. The goal is to reach even higher this time. My first year in FIA F3 was all about learning and I will use all the knowledge I’ve gathered to aim for the title next year."

MP Motorsport team boss Sander Dorsman added: "It’s so good to be able to welcome Franco back into the MP fold. He’s been outstanding in his two years with us and, in his other two seasons since his promotion from karts, Franco was always among our most daunting rivals! With a first season of FIA F3 under his belt, he now carries the weight needed for a consistently frontrunning campaign – and we’re here to help him achieve that."