There’s no place like home: Getting to know the real Franco Colapinto

Franco Colapinto has made an impact already during his rookie FIA Formula 2 campaign, winning the Imola Feature Race in some style with a final lap pass for victory.

Ahead of the racing getting back underway, we got to know the MP Motorsport driver a little more as he detailed a few of his favourite things from home in Argentina, as well as what motivates him through his racing career.

WHERE DO YOU CONSIDER HOME?

“Buenos Aries, Argentina. It’s my home, where I grew up and where all of my family is. I always feel comfortable there and have my friends and sponsors supporting me. I really miss home when I’m racing during the year. I don’t get to go home much now because I’m really busy with racing, so every year I have less and less time to go. It’s also quite a long flight and pretty expensive to go back.”

OUTSIDE OF MOTORSPORT, WHICH ATHLETE DO YOU ADMIRE THE MOST?

“I have a few. I really admire Lionel Messi of course, I respect him as a person and athlete. He’s a great person, very humble and for the amount of success he’s had, it’s quite impressive. In terms of others, there are quite a few triathletes I admire and follow a lot. But mostly Messi with me being from Argentina, that’s the obvious one.”

WHO DO YOU KNOW BEST ON THE GRID?

“I don’t know actually. I know Victor quite well. I’ve raced against him back in Formula Renault. I’ve raced against Victor quite a bit since I was young. He was always two years ahead being older, but when I was a rookie, I always got to race against him. He’s the one I’ve raced the most on the grid.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CHEAT MEAL?

“It depends on the mood, depends on the moment, or how much salty or sweet food I’ve had. If I’ve had too much sweetness, then I’d go the other way. Like an ice cream, I love chocolate. Or dulce de leche, it’s like caramel but from Argentina, it’s much, much better. I really love that and miss it so much during the year. In Spain there’s some, but it’s a thing from Argentina so when I’m back there and at home, I love it.”

IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO RELIVE A MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

“Well I think the best moment so far in my career was in Abu Dhabi when I drove the Formula 1 car with Williams last year. I would love to go back and have another go, that’s what I’m working towards this year. That’s what the target is. The focus is on Formula 2 this year, but I want to get back into that car.”

READ MORE: RACE ANALYSIS: How Colapinto fought his way to maiden F2 victory

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE OR TV SHOW?

“I really like this show from Argentina, translated it’s called ‘The Boss’. I’ve just finished watching that and it’s really fun, the guy is a genius. I finished it not long ago.”

WHAT WAS THE LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO?

“My Spotify is full of Spanish songs, that’s what I usually listen to. I like music in English but I’m a guy that prefers Spanish music.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE RACING MEMORY?

“Definitely driving the Williams. I have plenty of favourite moments so far in my racing career but since that moment, that Formula 1 test is the best. It was an amazing moment, what I’d dreamt of since I was really young. To have that opportunity in my first year with Williams was an amazing experience.

“There are many things that they tell you about it being really fast, really efficient on the brakes, really hard on the neck, and you’re like ‘yeah, but it’s a car’ but you don’t realise it until you drive it. Once you’re in the car, you realise how fast and how physical it is, how much downforce it has and how efficient everything is. Until you drive it, you can’t understand.”

WHAT IS YOUR MOST TREASURED POSSESSION?

“My family. From all the things that I have, that’s the most precious thing that I have.”

READ MORE: Would you Rather with Franco Colapinto

WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?

“I’ve been given a lot of advice and I’ve had some tough moments in my career in motorsport. I’ve got some people that I really trust and have confidence in that have given me advice that I’ve followed, so I think the main one I always think of is the right one to think about and work on is to take risks and live for your dream, whatever it costs and try to achieve it. If you give it your all and it doesn’t turn out the way you want, you’re still going to be satisfied and you’re not going to feel an empty space that you didn’t try everything. So to give my maximum, that’s what I always do and would be the advice I would give.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE YOU’VE BEEN TO AND ONE YOU’D LIKE TO VISIT?

“I visited New Zealand some time ago, I love it there, it’s a very cool country and not many people have the possibility to go with it being so far away. It’s a pretty unique place to go to. I really enjoyed it there. I raced in a championship there and that was really cool.

“I would love to go to somewhere in Africa. Somewhere where not many people go to, somewhere that nobody thinks of going to, I would love to get to know how life is there.”