Franco Colapinto has been eagerly anticipating the United States Grand Prix as it kicks off four races in a row closer to his home country of Argentina.
Williams promoted the rookie at the expense of Logan Sargeant at Monza last month, and he has duly impressed with three top-12 finishes and four points in his first three races. Colapinto became the first Argentinian driver in nearly a quarter of a century, and has brought with him massive support from South America that he is expecting to feel even more strongly in the United States, Mexico and Brazil.
“I was really waiting for this weekend,” Colapinto said. “It is very special, of course. I have all my life raced in Europe, and maybe a weekend in Australia, somewhere like that, but I never raced in America, and that’s closest from home. So I’ve been really waiting for these three rounds.
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“It is very special, of course. My dream would be to race in Argentina and to race in Buenos Aires, but that’s not happening, and this is the closest three races that we have. And I know many fans are going to be here, I know many fans are going to be in Mexico and more in Brazil, so it’s going to feel almost like a home race, I think. At least Brazil, and I am very excited about it.
“I have a lot of support from the fans from Argentina, and to race close to where my home is, it’s something I’ve been waiting for and something I’ve been dreaming of, and it’s happening now. So, yes, very exciting times. I am very happy to be here, of course, as an F1 driver, and to have the chance to race close to Argentina is very special.”
Colapinto believes he has a level of support that is beyond what most drivers receive in their home country, and said he is proud to be inspiring fans in Argentina.
“I haven’t gone to Argentina yet, so I don’t know how it is down there, but from what I hear it’s going a bit crazy,” he said. “I love the support that I get from the fans, it is very special, I don’t see any F1 driver that has as much support as I do from the fans.
“It shows that it’s also very important, and it does push you forward a little bit, and to get all these messages of support, to get all the fans coming to the races to support you, it is very nice. It does make you push a little bit harder for what you want, and to see that what you do, and your challenges that you put in your racing, and when you do well they are so happy.
“They are enjoying you being here in F1, it’s something very special, and I am very happy to be the next Argentinian in F1, and to have all these kids that are overwhelmed. And [they are] very happy to see a F1 driver for the first time from their country, and to all these kids that are getting into motorsport because they are like, ‘Wow, I love F1,’ and they are getting into sport, and motorsport in Argentina is growing a lot thanks to this.
“So it’s really good what is happening there in the country. Argentinians really rely on sports, lastly, with the [soccer] World Cup, and now with F1 and many other things, it is very important for us to have a F1 driver I think, as a country, and it’s really good.”
While enjoying the huge backing he is receiving, Colapinto admitted he is taking time to adjust to the way it impacts how he can go about his day-to-day life.
“The thing is that I don’t feel like a hero, I feel … the same as I was two years ago, that no one knew me, and now everyone stops me, and I’m like, why are you stopping me? Why do you want a picture?” he says. “And then I realize, or I go to say hi to someone, and I’m like ‘I am Franco [and they say] ‘Well, we know you.’
“Look, all that I think comes with time, and it will happen when I start to get a bit more used to it, but it is a bit difficult — it has many good things, and it has many bad things as well. I would love to be eating maybe a burger in a McDonalds with a lot of cheese, and maybe I cannot do that because they are making me take pictures now. So you have to take a bit more care, and I am working on that.”