Photo: Williams Racing
Williams junior Franco Colapinto will race in Formula 2 next year with MP Motorport, bringing a successful end to a fan-led campaign to get him into the championship.
The 20-year-old Argentinian is well known to MP, having first raced for the Dutch team in the Formula Renault Eurocup back in 2020. He finished third in the standings that year with two wins, then driver and team moved across to Formula Regional Europe for 2021. Colapinto claimed another two wins and came sixth in the standings.
Last year he switched allegiances to Van Amersfoort Racing as he stepped up to FIA Formula 3, and won two races en route to ninth in the points table. He improved to fourth place this year as he returned to MP, and once again took two wins.
Next month he will drive for the team in the Macau Grand Prix, then make his F2 debut in the Abu Dhabi season finale. It has not been announced if he will replace Jehan Daruvala or Dennis Hauger, who have formed MP’s 2023 line-up to date.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be moving up to F2 with MP,” said Colapinto. “MP are proven race-winners in the category, and staying with them feels absolutely right. It’s a familiar atmosphere for me, and it will be to our advantage that we know each other so well as I enter my debut season in the category.
“I very much look forward to the fresh challenge of a new series, with a brand new car to help develop. I can’t wait to get in the car in Abu Dhabi and then work with the team to be ready for a long and challenging 2024 season.”
Following his race debut, Colapinto will also drive for MP in the post-season F2 test the week after on November 29-December 1.
“It’s great news that we are able to announce Franco’s promotion to our F2 team so early,” said MP’s team principal Sander Dorsman.
“This will give us a headstart in our preparations for an exciting 2024 F2 season in which we all start from zero, with the new F2 car offering everyone a new baseline to work from. Retaining Franco helps us to maintain stability in that transition, apart from the fact that he’s become a member of the MP family and is an extremely quick and talented driver.”