Five tenths. What can be done in five tenths? In F-1, for example, you can gain a position, which is what Franco Colapinto to overcome Qualy 1 of the Mexico City Grand Prix. That almost imperceptible lapse of time decides important things in a very even category, at least in the mid-pack positions. What does it matter? On a track like the “Hermanos Rodríguez” racetrack, with little grip and which causes the rear of the cars to lose a lot of load, the Buenos Aires native made the 16th time, and that will be the position he will have in Sunday’s final. . The Spanish Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) took pole, with the Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and the British Lando Norris (McLaren) behind.
Wearing the helmet in tribute to the remembered Carlos Reutemann and with a Williams now painted blue and yellow, qualifying left Franco frustrated. “The car is a disaster. Changes were made to the set-up, it had no grip and had a problem when turning. Now we only have to fight in the final,” was the self-criticism of the driver who had achieved 13th place in the third practice session on Saturday.
It is worth understanding that in F-1 no one is guaranteed anything in a classification. But look what happened to the Australian Oscar Piastri and with the Mexican Sergio Perezwho also could not pass Q1 since they drive top cars (McLaren and Red Bull, respectively) and will even start behind Colapinto.
Leaving aside the action on the track, the Buenos Aires native found himself in Mexico with an atmosphere full of affection from the public, with growing international media attention and with rumors of all kinds in the pits. His future, related to the 2025 season, is a cause for speculation. It is even being said that Red Bull approached him with an offer to join their structure. Only time will tell if the “wave” of situations and negotiations tilt in Franco’s favor. This, while Williams’ boss continues to shower him with praise: “It is not usual for a 21-year-old to have the performance that he has. “We knew he was fast, that’s how he showed it in the simulator, but he’s fantastic,” he said. James Vowles.
Franco tries to escape from these versions and comments. “I try to stay in my bubble, which is that of a pilot,” he says. But insistence is the friend of action and there were even those who compared it with Lionel Messi for what it is generating. “No, I don’t feel even close to Leo. “He’s on another level and I really can’t believe when people compare me to him, I’m like, ‘What’s wrong with you?'” he says.
Colapinto will have a complicated race in Mexico
Returning to the race, Colapinto will face another complicated final, due to the position in which he will start. It already happened last Sunday in Austin, where he started 15th and made use of a daring strategy of installing hard tires to last as long as possible before stopping in the pits. Things went well for him, finishing 10th. This time, in Mexico, the track conditions are more unpredictable and the Williams does not seem to be as solid as it was a week ago. From 5pm on Sunday it will be a matter of seeing what he can do. Something that, as seen in the previous four presentations, is a lot.
