Colapinto cleared to race in Las Vegas GP after heavy crash

Franco Colapinto has been cleared to race in Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix following a heavy crash in qualifying. Colapinto suffered a huge smash into the Turn 16 barriers after clipping the inside wall, destroying his FW46 Formula 1 car.

The Argentinian reported he was okay, but because he had suffered an impact of over 50G he was sent to the medical centre for check-ups.

There, it was decided to subject Colapinto to further tests on race morning, to check for any concussion symptoms. The 21-year-old has now been cleared to take part in the race, which starts at 10pm local time.

“Following Franco’s incident in Qualifying yesterday, he has undergone a thorough follow-up evaluation from the event medical team today and has been cleared to race in this evening’s Las Vegas Grand Prix,” Williams said in a statement.

“Franco’s health is our main priority, and we are relieved that he is well enough to race following such a significant incident. We thank the medical staff for prioritising Franco’s health and wellbeing and for the excellent care he received.

The damaged car of Franco Colapinto, Williams FW46

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Colapinto’s heavy smash destroyed both corners of the car and has forced the team to break parc ferme rules, meaning he will start from the pitlane. Williams has installed a new gearbox on his car, the entry’s sixth for the season, exceeding the seasonal limit of four units.

“We are extremely thankful to our incredible garage team for their hard work overnight to repair Franco’s car and our fans and partners for their continued support,” the team added.

“We have taken the opportunity to make some set-up changes during the repair and, as a result, Franco will start the race from the pitlane.”

It was another hard day for Williams’ mechanics after the team also suffered accidents for both drivers in Brazil, with the Grove-based squad pulling out all the stops to get both cars on spec for this weekend.

With Las Vegas the start of a triple-header that includes Qatar and Abu Dhabi, it is not yet clear what consequences Williams’ latest accident will have on its spare parts pool to see out the season.

Colapinto had qualified 14th, with team-mate Alex Albon now moving up from 18th to 17th on the grid after the Thai driver saw his Q1 session ruined by traffic.