Franco Colapinto: Buenos Aires boy who made F1 breakthrough

F1 Beyond The Grid

karenellenbevan

Leisure, Sports News, News, Sports, Technology, Automotive

4.8 • 5.2K Ratings

🗓️ 23 September 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Franco Colapinto didn’t take long to make a name for himself in Formula 1.

He became the first Argentine F1 driver in 23 years when he debuted with Williams in 2024. It only took him two races to then become the first Argentine points scorer in the sport since 1982.

More than a year since his incredible breakthrough, and now racing for Alpine, Franco tells Tom Clarkson the story of how a boy from the outskirts of Buenos Aires reached the pinnacle of motorsport.

Franco remembers the sacrifices he made by moving abroad as a young teenager to pursue his dream, the challenges of leaving his family and living on his own in a different continent, and how an unexpected visit from an F1 legend inspired him to keep going.

Franco also talks about how his experience at Alpine compares to his time at Williams, what his relationships with teammate Pierre Gasly and Alpine Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore are like, and his future in F1.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Franco Colopinto, welcome to the points in Formula One!
0:04.0	Argentina's first point scorer since 1982!
0:08.0	That was the most pressure ever in my career when I started racing in Formula One.
0:14.0	After that I felt that nothing could beat me.
0:17.0	But that tricky end to the year in 24 and this year having a difficult start also
0:24.1	made me a lot stronger and I feel that now I'm much tougher which is good for the future.
0:30.1	Franco Colopinto has a resilience that is unusual in someone so young. Where does that
0:36.1	tough mentality come from? Perhaps moving on his own as a
0:41.0	teenager to a different continent is the reason. Or perhaps it's down to an unexpected encounter with a
0:47.8	Formula One legend. He came to the tent and he just said some really nice and kind words and it's like I know how hard it is
0:55.8	to be South American and never give up I've seen your race you're very talented and like I was a
1:01.0	bit in shock and keep that memory you know in my mind because it was I think the moment that
1:05.9	made me realize I can maybe actually make it.
1:18.3	Welcome everyone to F1 Beyond the Grid with me Tom Clarkson.
1:25.2	It's just over a year since Franco Colopinto announced himself on the biggest stage of all,
1:28.5	taking his first points finish in only his second Grand Prix. So how did the boy from Buenos Aires become the first Argentine F1 driver in 23 years?
1:36.3	Franco tells me how his passion for racing led to a life-changing move to Italy, where he lived
1:42.3	on his own above a factory. You won't be surprised
1:45.6	when you learn who the F-1 legend was that gave him that motivational talk. It's a really
1:50.8	heartwarming story that clearly inspired Franco on his journey to F-1. That journey now sees
1:57.6	Franco racing for Alpine. We discuss how this experience compares to his time at
2:02.5	Williams last year, what he makes of teammate Pierre Gasly and his boss Flavio Briatore, and how he
	...

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