Argentine race driver Franco Colapinto has been all over sports media recently, but not thanks to another stellar performance; rather, it’s his dating life that has landed him in the spotlight this time.

The 21-year-old driver was seen on Saturday in Madrid with actress and model María Eugenia “China” Suárez. A video of the couple touring the Spanish capital went viral, which quickly stirred criticisms of the actress, who is 11 years Colapinto’s senior.

The Williams F1 driver took a light approach to the comments, writing on his X account that dating Suárez was “his proudest moment” since he has an Instagram account, and lamented the criticism. However, he later deleted the post. Suárez was also dismissive of the fans’ reaction; she shared a follower’s supportive message on her Instagram, saying that “she’s happy” and “isn’t bothering anyone.”

The most high-profile response came from Jamie Campbell-Walter, the director of the company managing Colapinto’s career, Bullet Sports Management.

“Stop with your opinions, stop with your insults, and stop telling us how we should do our job,” wrote the British former race driver who has been working with Colapinto since 2019, when he raced in the Spanish F4. He added he’s been supporting the young driver “long before any of [the fans]” and “will be [doing so] long after.”

“Let’s focus on Vegas and racing, but to do that, I need you all to shut up,” added Campbell-Walter.

Colapinto’s next race will be the Las Vegas Grand Prix from November 21 to 24. The qualifying is set to take place on Saturday at 3 a.m. Argentina time, while the race will set off on Sunday, also at 3 a.m.

Who is María Eugenia “China” Suárez?

María Eugenia Suárez, better known as “China,” is an Argentine actress, model, and singer. Born on March 9, 1992, she first broke through in 2007 with her role as “Jazmín” in Casi Ángeles, a juvenile soap opera that ended in 2010. After that, she continued to work both in television and movies.

It’s not the first time Suárez’s love life has been in the spotlight. In 2015, model Carolina “Pampita” Ardohain accused her then-husband Chilean Benjamín Vicuña of having an affair with Suárez, with whom he starred in the film El Hilo Rojo. 

Both denied the accusation and began dating later in 2016. They had two children together before ending their relationship in 2021.