Colapinto was cleared to race in the Las Vegas GP after a 50G crash

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 at high speed into the outer concrete barrier. The impact was so great that the barrier was moved backwards and caused a delay of more than 20 meters while repairs took place and significant debris was cleared.

Colapinto was checked at the medical center after the incident and returned to his hotel to rest, with a further assessment on Saturday during which he was cleared to take part in the race.

“Following Franco’s incident in qualifying yesterday, he has today undergone a thorough follow-up assessment by the event’s medical team and will be cleared to race in the Las Vegas Grand Prix tonight,” Williams said in a statement.

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

“We are extremely grateful to our incredible garage team for their hard work overnight to repair Franco’s car, and to our fans and partners for their continued support. We took the opportunity to make some set-up changes during the repairs and as a result Franco will start the race from the pit lane.

“We’re looking forward to racing under the lights tonight.”

Colapinto was originally 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 one place.

Williams managed to repair Colapinto’s badly damaged car without breaking the track’s curfew.