Franco Colapinto closing in on a 'special' F1 moment

10/30/2024 04:06 PM

Williams F1 driver Franco Colapinto is on the cusp of a "special moment" in his young career

When Franco Colapinto arrived in Austin for the United States Grand Prix, and the start of the latest Formula 1 tripleheader, the young driver made it clear just how special the upcoming three races were for him, in particular the São Paulo Grand Prix.

Now that that race week is here, Colapinto is looking forward to a "special" moment in Brazil.

Speaking with the media, including SB Nation, in Austin Colapinto outlined how his racing career had him competing in Europe, thousands of miles away from his home country of Argentina. But with the circuit headed through its latest swing through North and South America, he is getting closer and closer to home each week.

"I was really waiting for this," outlined Colapinto in Austin. "And it is very special.

"Of course, I have all my life raced in Europe and maybe a week in Australia, something like that. But I never raced in America, and that's closer to home. And so I've been really waiting for these three rounds.

"It is very special, of course.

"So my dream would be to race in Argentina and to race in Buenos Aires. But that's not happening. And this the closest three races that we have. And I know many fans are gonna be here, and I know many fans are gonna be in Mexico, and more in Brazil."

Colapinto then outlined how this week's São Paulo Grand Prix is going to feel like a home race for him.

"So it's gonna feel almost like home, I think at least Brazil, and I am very excited about it," continued Colapinto. "I have a lot of support from the fans from Argentina to race close to where my home is, and it's something I've been waiting for and something I've been dreaming of.

"And it's happening now. Very exciting times."

In the team's media preview of the São Paulo Grand Prix, Colapinto called this weekend a "special moment" in his racing career.

"I've spent most of my life racing in Europe, so to be able to race in South America this weekend marks a special moment in my career. Brazil is as close to a home race as possible for me and the support from the fans during this triple-header has already been unbelievable," said Colapinto. "I'm sure there will be plenty of Argentinians who have traveled to be in the crowd to cheer me and the team on across the weekend."

Having experienced his first F1 Sprint weekend in Austin, Colapinto is ready for the compressed schedule he will see in Brazil.

"Going into my second Sprint event in three weeks, I now know what to expect, so we'll aim to maximize the hour of Free Practice to get to grips with the track while understanding the right window the car needs to be in.

"We've got two chances to fight for points at this iconic track, so we'll try our best."