Colapinto Facing Pressure While Argentina's F1 Hopes Grow
Jul.25 - Franco Colapinto has welcomed Argentina's growing push for a return to Formula 1 - but admits the sport's elite level is more demanding than he expected.
The 21-year-old Alpine driver was speaking Thursday at Spa, where he praised plans to bring MotoGP back to Buenos Aires in 2027 via a two-phase overhaul of the Autodromo Oscar y Juan Galvez. Led by Hermann Tilke, the revamp could eventually open the door to F1.
"I think it's great to have MotoGP back in Buenos Aires. It's a country full of very passionate fans," Colapinto said. "Formula 1 would be a bit more tricky to go there, especially with the track changes. I think they are more for a bike than for a Formula 1 car.
"It would be amazing for the fans and for F1 to see what they can actually achieve there. Of course, it's one of my dreams, but it still looks a little far away."
Despite the hype and national momentum, Colapinto remains under pressure. After impressive early form with Williams, his performances since replacing Jack Doohan in 2025 have been modest - and he admitted the transition from junior categories has been tougher than expected.
"Formula 2 is a great championship, but it still doesn't fully prepare you for F1," he said. "Suddenly you've got 30 engineers in a room compared to two or three in Formula 2 - and that's a pretty big shock."
"You're putting in a big effort trying to go quick to score points for 1,000-plus people that are in a factory building the quickest car for two guys. It's a big job. That's why Nico (Hulkenberg) and Fernando (Alonso) are here next to me - they have so much knowledge."
Fernando Alonso, who now also manages young talents like Gabriel Bortoleto, was asked to offer advice to rookies facing the pressure.
"It's an extremely competitive environment," said Alonso. "You have to be ready to deliver your best performance every day. And when you don't, you have to be ready to accept some criticism and try to get better.
"There's only one guy winning - normally for five or six years in a row. So you have to control that frustration."
Colapinto agreed. "Formula 1, we all know it's a tough sport," he said. "There are only twenty places, and it's always going to be tricky how you get here. It's a lot of effort, a lot of sacrifice.
"It's the sport we all love, and we are very lucky to be able to do it."
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