Fernando Romero Nuñez Argentine race driver Franco Colapinto may have become an Argentine phenomenon in his own right since making his F1 debut in September, but that doesn’t mean he’s not an Albiceleste fan too. With the Qatar Grand Prix coming up next Sunday, the 21-year-old took the opportunity to honor Lionel Messi and co. with a new special helmet design.
Colapinto made the announcement on his Instagram account, with a special video set to the tune of the Argentine anthem played on an electric guitar.
“As an Argentine, it’s an honor and a responsibility to compete again in Qatar,” he said as a voice-over in the clip. “This helmet is a homage to the World Cup winners, who gave us the biggest joy ever, and a gift for all Argentine fans. Thank you for this opportunity, thank you for joining me on this path.”
The helmet, which diverts from his usual white, red and blue colors, is a gradient of three blue tones and represents the moment when the Scaloneta lifted the trophy. With Argentine flags on the sides as usual, it features a montage of several Albiceleste stars at the back, including Messi, Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez, Ángel Di María and others. It also shows the three stars representing the World Cups won by Argentina, and the phrase coronados de gloria (crowned in glory), a phrase included in the national anthem.
It’s not the first time Colapinto will merge football and motorsport, two of Argentina’s greatest passions. A self-confessed Boca Juniors fan, he visited its iconic La Bombonera home in 2022 when he was still racing in Formula 3. He also received a visit from Xeneize icon Carlos Tévez during the Las Vegas GP, who gifted him one the last jerseys he wore before retiring.
The new helmet got the reaction of several Argentine figures. Qatar 2022 winner Nicolás Tagliafico commented with a fire emoji, while Rodrigo de Paul shared a clip done with YPF — Argentina’s state-owned energy company who sponsors the Albiceleste and the racer.
The Qatar GP, one of Colapinto’s last two races if he’s left without a seat for 2025, will take place at the Lusail International Circuit on Sunday, December 1, at 1 p.m. Argentina time. The Sprint race will start on Saturday at 11 a.m., with the qualifying for the main race set to run at 3 p.m.