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Colapinto fitness to be evaluated pre-race after 50G qualifying crash

Franco Colapinto Williams Racing Alex Albon The Las Vegas Grand Prix

Williams driver Franco Colapinto faces a pre-race fitness evaluation after a 50G impact with a concrete wall during qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The Argentine was on course to set a time good enough for Q3 when he clipped the inside wall at Turn 13 – the last of a sequence that takes drivers away from the Strip – which sent him into the outside barrier at unabated speed.

A sickening impact saw the car leave the ground before skating several hundred metres down the track towards the final corner, bringing an end to the second segment of qualifying.

Following an initial assessment at the medical centre due to the high-G impact, Williams revealed in a statement that the rookie would face a second test before the race on Saturday local time.

"During qualifying Franco sustained a significant impact of over 50G, requiring a medical check-up," read the statement.

"An impact of this magnitude is obviously significant and severe and he will need to be evaluated again tomorrow before we will know whether he is clear to race.

"Franco’s health is all that matters and we are glad he is otherwise OK. We will provide further updates when we can."

It is the latest in a string of hugely costly incidents for the Williams team under the cost cap era, which could further influence its development ability into the new season.

Mechanics bring the remains of the car of Franco Colapinto, Williams FW46 (Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images)

Alex Albon's crash in Australian GP practice left the team with just one chassis left for the rest of that weekend, while Logan Sargeant effectively sealed his fate in being dropped for Colapinto with a fiery, high-speed crash at Zandvoort.

Colapinto came in with damage costs rising but the team has seen wrecked race cars on five occasions in the past three events alone - Albon crashing heavily after contact with Oliver Bearman in Mexico, before both drivers destroyed their cars in Brazil, Colapinto doing so in both qualifying and the race.

Aside from the financial burden of the latest crash as well as the reserve of usable parts again being eaten into, mechanics face another long stretch of work to repair the car in time for the 50-lap grand prix in the midst of two triple-header weekends to finish the season.

Photos from Las Vegas GP Practice & Qualifying

Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing, on stage

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

George Russell, Mercedes F1

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing, arrives at the track

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team, on stage

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Noah Lyles and his partner Junelle Bromfield arrive at the track

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Mick Schumacher participates in Pirelli Hot Laps activity in an AMG Mercedes

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team, on stage

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Jared Leto in the Aston Martin garage

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

George Russell, Mercedes

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44, kicks up sparks

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44, makes a pit stop

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Nina Dobrev

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

McLaren MCL38 rear wing detail

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

George Russell, Mercedes

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Alex Albon, Williams FW46

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Sparks fly off the car of Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

The damaged car of Franco Colapinto, Williams FW46

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Pole man George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari, congratulates pole man George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Pole man George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

George Russell, Mercedes

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Pole man George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Pole man George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, is congratulated by Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Pole man George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, receives his Pirelli Pole Position Award from Gianluca QCP Conte, Food content creator

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Pole man George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Top three qualifiers Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari, pole man George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Friday

Formula 1

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