19th-place F1 driver made his mechanics ‘cry’ after what he did at the Las Vegas Grand Prix

This weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix marks the penultimate round of Formula 1’s longest-ever season. The calendar has run to a record 24 races, two more than last year.

Those events have taken place over a 40-week span, starting in Bahrain at the end of February and culminating in Abu Dhabi, the final leg of the ongoing tripleheader. Even before the first race, mechanics were busy building the cars and carrying out their pre-season testing duties.

F1 teams typically rotate their crews nowadays given the unprecedented demands of the schedule. But even though they’re trying to avoid burnout, fatigue will inevitably be setting in up and down the pitlane.

The worst affected will be those who have had to undertake extensive repair jobs throughout the year. Surprisingly given his experience and the quality of his machinery, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez has amassed the most crash damage this year.

On the other end of the scale is Pierre Gasly at Alpine. Gasly is the only driver without repair bills in 2024, but even then his engine failure in Las Vegas likely necessitated extra work before Qatar.

Franco Colapinto’s crash at Las Vegas Grand Prix led to tears in Williams garage

The Williams mechanics have been through a brutal stretch. The situation was so dire that it was briefly unclear whether they’d be able to take a full part in the Las Vegas GP.

It cost Williams millions to fix their two cars after a disastrous Sunday in Brazil. Alex Albon crashed so heavily in the rescheduled qualifying that he couldn’t even take part in the race, while Franco Colapinto sustained terminal damage in both sessions.

James Vowles urged his drivers to be cautious before the race in Nevada. Williams are at risk of breaching the cost cap because they’re spending so much on rebuilds.

Unfortunately, Colapinto didn’t heed that advice. He scattered his FW46 down the barriers in the final sector after a clumsy error, and Giedo van der Garde says some of the mechanics were in tears afterwards.

“Those guys were crying in the pit box,” Van der Garde said on De Race Show. “Seriously. But I understand. Crying mechanics.

“You first had Sargeant for two years, and it was all a drama. Then you finally get Colapinto and the mechanics are completely alive again. The team is going up. You score points. Then you get so much damage. Those mechanics are going crazy.”

Franco Colapinto follows Lewis Hamilton’s advice before Qatar Grand Prix

Van der Garde suspects Colapinto has thrown away his seat with his Vegas shunt, immediately after his nightmare day in Brazil. Suitors may wait to see how he responds in the last two races.

The narrative around the 21-year-old is shifting after his excellent start. Virtually every rookie experiences a tough period, but this one has come at the worst possible time for Williams.

While Vowles will no doubt issue another stern warning in private before Qatar, he’ll also have sympathy. The youngster wasn’t even on the grid at the start of the year when Albon and Sargeant were making costly mistakes.

To help him regain focus, Colapinto has deleted one social media app from his phone. Lewis Hamilton told the next generation that they should stay off the networks because they’re filled with ‘negativity’, and perhaps he took those words onboard.