Franco Colapinto will start the Las Vegas Grand Prix from the pit lane after being cleared to race despite a 50G crash in qualifying.
The Williams driver hit the inside wall at Turn 16 late in Q2, damaging the front left corner and sending his car across the track into the outside concrete barrier at high speed. The impact was so big it moved the barrier back, and caused a delay of over 20m while repairs took place and the significant debris was cleared up.
Colapinto was checked in the medical center after the incident and returned to his hotel to rest, with a further assessment on Saturday seeing him cleared to take part in the race.
“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.
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“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 prioritizing Franco’s health and wellbeing and for the excellent care he received.
“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. We have taken the opportunity to make some setup changes during the repair and, as a result, Franco will start the race from the pit lane.”
Colapinto originally was 14th on the grid, so all drivers behind him — Liam Lawson, Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, Lance Stroll and Valtteri Bottas — will move up a spot.
Williams has managed to repair Colapinto’s heavily damaged car without breaking curfew at the track.