Colapinto cleared for Las Vegas GP despite heavy crash

Franco Colapinto, who escaped serious injury in a high-speed crash in qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, has been cleared to take part in Saturday night's race, his Williams team said.

The 21-year-old Argentine smacked a wall in his Williams and was able to climb out of his badly-damaged car, before being transferred to the circuit medical centre on Friday.

He was pushing for a place in the top ten when he lost control at Turn 15 of the 'Sin City' circuit in slippery and cold conditions.

He will start from 14th place on the grid.

Franco Colapinto WILL race in the Las Vegas Grand Prix 💪#F1 #LasVegasGPhttps://t.co/QhbWN1v5H5

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 24, 2024

"Following Franco's incident in qualifying, 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," said a Williams statement.

"Franco's health is our main priority, and we are relieved that he is well enough to race following such a significant incident."

Colapinto's car required a complete rebuild, the team's fifth in three Grands Prix, leaving them with an estimated bill of close to $10 million in replacement parts.

Colapinto, who has made an impact since joining Williams mid-season, has been linked with a future move to other teams including RB and Audi.