The Formula 1 driver, Franco Colapinto, described his meeting with the iconic Argentine footballer Lionel Messi as a “special” moment he had dreamed of his whole life before the Miami Grand Prix.
Both compatriots met at the training facilities of Inter Miami after Colapinto expressed his desire to meet Messi during an exhibition in Buenos Aires. In this meeting, Messi’s teammate Rodrigo de Paul was also present.
“I don’t know, I think it’s a very busy race. They have a match on Saturday afternoon. It was a very special moment, something I had dreamed of my whole life. If you ask any Argentine who they want to meet, it’s Leo. I had that opportunity,” Colapinto told the media in Miami.
The driver added that the moment was what he had always desired: “There were no cameras, no marketing. It was just him, me, and Rodrigo, talking about personal things. It was a very dreamed moment.”
Furthermore, Colapinto had previously gifted Messi one of his helmets, with a message of gratitude written on the visor: “Thank you for so much joy and so many lessons. All the best.” At just 22 years old, the driver is a big fan of the Argentine team Boca Juniors and has been seen on several occasions wearing the club’s jersey.
Currently, Colapinto ranks 16th in the 2026 drivers’ championship, adding one point at the Chinese Grand Prix. In contrast, his teammate Pierre Gasly sits in eighth place with 15 points.
The championship will continue with the Miami Grand Prix after a five-week break due to the cancellation of the grand prix in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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