David Coulthard names which out-of-contract driver has shown they have ‘the speed’ to be in F1 next year

Franco Colapinto has been an outstanding talent at Williams since making his debut midway through the season, replacing the underperforming Logan Sargeant.

The Argentine has contributed a significant amount to Williams’ points total this year, having finished in the points at the Azerbaijan and US Grands Prix.

Although recently that form has been impacted by a series of crashes, notably in Brazil when Colapinto crashed twice: in qualifying and later in the race.

It led to a mammoth effort from Williams to get both cars ready for Las Vegas, however, any chance of a top-ten start was foiled when the Argentine crashed again in qualifying. Colapinto required medical attention after the crash in Vegas, after he suffered a 50G impact into the concrete barriers that lined the street circuit.

After being cleared to race, Colapinto managed to secure P14 ahead of Lance Stroll and Liam Lawson, while teammate Alex Albon retired with a cooling issue.

Despite a difficult run of races for Colapinto since Austin, David Coulthard thinks he has still impressed enough to earn a permanent seat on the grid when discussing on the Drive to Wynn podcast.

Franco Colapinto has ‘got the speed’ to be in F1 says David Coulthard

Colapinto is out of contract next year but Red Bull has reportedly been in discussions with Williams over potentially buying him out, as they figure out what to do with Sergio Perez and Liam Lawson.

Although the crash is unlikely to persuade any potential teams to employ him, Coulthard thinks the Argentine has shown what he is made of since taking over at Williams.

“We’ll see where he ends up, whether they’ve got a controlling interest in him. Another team has to buy him out of the Williams contract, so they may get some money back on it,” said Coulthard.

“But he’s certainly shown he’s got the speed to be in F1, but he isn’t without controversy with the crashes and a thing in the media between the last two Grands Prix where he has been out partying with high-profile people.”

Franco Colapinto’s crashes since taking over at Williams

The impact in Las Vegas adds to the sizable crash damage bill sustained by Williams in the last few races.

Williams reportedly saw ‘seven figures’ worth of damage done during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend, due to the accidents between Colapinto and Albon.

Sargeant was dropped due to his expensive his crashes were becoming, and due to his performances in a car that should be achieving points finishes.

Colapinto has now had four crashes since taking over between Baku, Brazil, and Vegas and each have caused a sizable amount of damage.