Having joined Williams this summer, Franco Colapinto is the highlight of this Formula 1 season’s end, both in the paddock and in the stands.
A Serious Bicycle Accident in Monaco
On May 26, 2021, the day before his 18th birthday, he had a spectacular bicycle accident in the principality of Monaco. “The car in front of me braked suddenly because a pedestrian crossed, and I hit it head-on,” he recounted in 2022. “My head ended up in the spoiler above the rear window. I broke my nose and cut the skin under my eye.”
Despite the pain, he still started the Regional Formula race the next day at Castellet. “I had trouble breathing with my broken nose and my eye was so swollen that I could barely see, despite my eleven stitches.”
A Uprooted Adolescence in Europe
Franco Colapinto left his family home at the age of 14 to move to Italy, where he lived above a karting factory. “I didn’t know how to cook, I prepared rice in an electric kettle and could barely cut fruit,” he joked on the Spanish show El Hormiguero last month. “I was very thin and not good at Italian.” Crowned Spanish Formula 4 champion in 2019, he found himself alone during the Covid-19 pandemic the following year. These various episodes have shaped his determination and independence.
Already an Idol in Argentina
Argentinians are known for their fervor for their sportspeople. Unknown to the general public before his F1 debut at the Monza GP on September 1st (replacing American Logan Sargeant), his popularity has been on a steady rise, gaining over three million followers on Instagram.
It’s worth noting that Argentina hasn’t had an F1 driver for twenty-three years (Gaston Mazzacane in 2000-2001), and the era of Fangio and his five world championship titles dates back to the 1950s. Last weekend, at Interlagos, despite his track exit resulting in withdrawal, thousands of compatriots cheered from the sidelines of the circuit, recreating an atmosphere reminiscent of the Bombonera (the stadium of Boca Juniors, the football club he supports).
Beyond his good looks, which have drawn comparisons to Ayrton Senna, the 21-year-old rookie stands out for his daring driving and a quick wit that would not have been out of place in the legendary Diego Maradona.
An Allergy to Everyday Driving
The native of Pilar, 50 km from Buenos Aires, recently confessed that he takes no pleasure in everyday driving. “I don’t drive on the street, I don’t like it. I generally take Ubers. I only take the wheel of the simulator or my race car. In Buenos Aires, I drive because I have no choice, but not in Europe.”
In the same appearance on Argentine public television, Colapinto also admitted to not being good at parking. “It’s a disaster. I know how to move forward, but if I have to reverse, it’s not even worth it. I’m really bad, I don’t know how to park!”
