Franco Colapinto’s friendly interview before his Formula 1 debut
Franco Colapinto had his first day as a Formula 1 driver and before officially getting into the car he had to fulfill the obligations of the Grand Circus. Beyond touring the Monza circuit in the company of his brand new work team, the 21-year-old driver had to have his baptism before the press and in one of those interviews he showed all the charisma that had already made him a real character during his stays in F2 and F3 in the past. In this case, he had a fun exchange with the chronicler and driver Christine GZ.
“Well, Franco, first of all, congratulations. You must be a bit on cloud nine, aren’t you?”, the Indian-born rider, who has Italian and Spanish roots, asked him. “Yes, I’m on cloud nine, I’m on cloud nine…” the Argentine began to analyse in front of the DAZN microphones before taking notice of who he had in front of him. “Thanks for interviewing me! I really wanted you to interview me! I was told that you are very funny, very funny, so I wanted to have a few laughs in the paddock,” he said, laughing.
Christine GZ’s post after the note with Colapinto
“Thank you. The truth is that I have seen many of your interviews and I have said that I am going to like this guy…,” replied the racer who between 2021 and 2023 worked as a racer in the Extreme E category, which covers electric all-terrain vehicles. “Oh no… What interview have you seen, please?” confessed his fear the racer who will make his formal debut this Friday at the wheel of the Williams FW46 during free practice 1 (from 8.30) and 2 (from 12) at the Italian Grand Prix. “I’ll tell you later, because now I don’t think it can be recorded,” was the complicit response of the 31-year-old chronicler, who raced the 2024 Dakar Rally in TC Racing, the team owned by Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
The video of this funny moment quickly went viral and Christine GZ herself joked on her Instagram profile with more than 166 thousand followers replicating the video with laughing emojis and blue hearts, in clear allusion to Williams’ color. Minutes later, she made another comment after sharing a common meme in Argentina with a video of Alfio Basile when he was coaching the Argentine national team: “I love him,” she wrote.
The journalist showed her sympathy on social media after the viral video
On a more serious note, Franco expressed his joy at having been able to have this chance to contest the nine Grand Prix remaining ahead of the 2024 season after all the effort he made in the past, moving to Europe alone at the age of 14 to be able to develop his career: “Speaking to all of you, the truth is that it is something I worked for since I was very young. Something that I obviously dreamed of since I came to Europe with a very clear objective. There are ups and downs, like motorsport, which seems like it is going to be cut short, it seems like you are going to have to return to Argentina, you want to go back to your family… And well, it is all those sacrifices that in the end accumulate and today generate a much greater emotion for having reached that goal that you wanted so much. So happy.”
The DAZN reporter raced in the Extreme E category between 2021 and 2023
Racer Christine Giampaoli Zonca was born in India and lived there with her parents until she was 8 years old. She then moved to Italy, until she settled in the Canary Islands and discovered her passion for cars. She got into a Corolla for the first time that passed by the door of her house in Fuerteventura and her brain “short-circuited,” as she told Infobae in an interview in 2023. Her debut as a driver was at the age of 19 and then she began her intense search to improve herself until she achieved her dream of participating in the 2024 Dakar Rally, prior to experiences in other similar competitions such as Extreme E.
Speaking to the press, the South American who will take the seat of the outgoing American driver Logan Sargeant clarified that he had been tense in the hours leading up to this very special day: “I am very happy. I didn’t sleep a night because of the nerves. It all happened very fast. It is an honour to race for Williams. I am very grateful to the team. I try to enjoy every moment. I want to give everything for the team.”
At the same time, he made statements in a video on the official channel of the legendary Grove team that gave him the chance to drive in F1: “Hi everyone, here we are in the greatest history of Monza, Italy. Super excited for my first Grand Prix. It’s a very special moment in my life and career and I’m surrounded by a great team. It’s great to do this with Williams, which has such a great legacy in Formula 1, and I’m very, very happy about that. Of course I’m preparing with Gaetan (Jego, Williams Team Principal) and all the other guys, so we’re already thinking about tomorrow to get in the car.”
He also had a fun interview with ESPN, where he acknowledged the support he has had over the last few years and with his usual charisma celebrated the “incredible moment” because it allowed him “to have this first interview with you and me,” referring to the reporter Juan Fossaroli who followed him in the last seasons in Formula 3 and Formula 2. “It all happened very quickly and I think that’s what made me relax. They were a few hours of great intensity. I was preparing for the F2 race with the team. It was all very sudden, I had one night alone where I didn’t sleep. Afterwards I was able to rest well.”
“I have already driven the track. Monza is one of the circuits I like the most. I am happy to be back here. Italy always brings me good races, the tifosi are something very special,” he added, referring to the victories he had in the two F3 sprints he raced on this circuit. “I know it is very important for the team. If they give me this opportunity it is because they feel I can do a good job, they also want to give me the experience of having more kilometres in a Formula 1. I only did the test in Abu Dhabi and Silverstone. I don’t have much experience, but without that experience they give me this opportunity, they have the confidence to give me the seat, it is something unique. I am more than grateful to the team,” he said.
