Fernando Romero Nuñez 
Argentine race driver Franco Colapinto will wear a new helmet inspired by Carlos “Lole” Reutemann, one of the greatest Argentines to race in Formula 1. The 21-year-old will wear it at the Mexico and Brazil Grand Prix on October 27 and November 3.
The new design was introduced in an event on Wednesday as part of a campaign with Williams F1 sponsor Mercado Libre. The Argentine tech giant also presented a new Williams car paint job, with a yellow engine cover evocative of the vehicles the British team ran in the early 1990s.
Colapinto shared a short video via Instagram showcasing the new design. “The homage from one Argentine to another,” reads the text, before closing with a thank you message to Reutemann.
Reutemann’s daughter Cora confirmed they knew the homage was in the works.
“They were very respectful to ask for our permission,” she told the Herald, adding the initial contact was done through motorsport journalist Mauricio Gallardo. “I think it’s a well deserved tribute, and something very important to all Argentines.”
Cora Reutemann recalls testing out her father’s helmet during his racing days when she was a kid and wondering how he endured the long races wearing it. She admits to being surprised about the support Colapinto has received.
“I didn’t know Argentines were so passionate about Formula 1 to this day,” she said.
The headwear was designed by Argentine Lucas Bricco, who does all of Colapinto’s helmets. “When they told me it had to incorporate yellow into the mix due to the sponsorship, I thought of making it look like the one ‘Lole’ wore,” he told Argentine news site Infobae.
Who was Carlos “Lole” Reutemann?
Born in Santa Fe on April 12, 1952, Carlos Reutemann was one of the last Argentines to drive in F1 before Colapinto’s arrival. He was the most accomplished of the generation of racers that followed the great Juan Manuel Fangio.
Reutemann started racing in his native Santa Fe in the 1960s. He made his official F1 debut in 1972 with the Brabham team following a successful career with Sport Prototype racing.
Over his 10-year career, he drove for F1 giants such as Ferrari, Lotus, and Williams. He won 12 of the 146 races he took part in and earned 45 podium finishes. In 1977, he won the Brazilian Grand Prix at the Interlagos circuit — where Colapinto will make his Brazil debut — aboard a Ferrari.
His best year came in 1981, when he finished second in the driver’s championship. He retired from the sport a year later, citing tensions amid the Malvinas War and exhaustion from the insider politics within the sport.
Argentine support for Colapinto
The response to Colapinto’s arrival to F1 has been one of outstanding support. A big crew of Argentines and other Latinamericans have followed the 21-year-old in his four races. There are clips of Williams mechanics and staff admitting that they’ve never seen anything like it before.
“Having Argentina behind me is incredible,” Colapinto told Forbes México ahead of the grand prix. “I enjoy that a lot, I don’t feel it as pressure, I only enjoy it.”
Argentines are expected to overwhelm São Paulo during the weekend of November 2 and 3. A flag gathering at the Teniente Sequeira Campos park in central São Paulo meant to show the Williams driver their support is already in the works.
“I feel like me and the Argentines are a team,” said Colapinto, adding that their support has been important and that his achievements “belong to them as well.”
“Representing Argentina in F1 after so many years [the country did not have] a driver was a dream of mine. I would’ve loved having an Argentine to root for in the series growing up; now I’m the one kids get up in the morning to cheer for, and that’s incredible.”
Editorial disclaimer: Although the UK refers to the territory as the “Falklands Islands,” Argentina strongly contests this name. The Buenos Aires Herald uses “Malvinas” to refer to the islands.
