Franco Colapinto 'very surprised' by Lionel Messi's F1 curiosity

Franco Colapinto was 'very surprised' by Lionel Messi's detailed questions about F1 during a recent meeting in Miami. The Argentine rookie also delivered his best result in the sport, finishing seventh at the Miami Grand Prix – the best finish for an Argentine driver in 795 races, dating back to Carlos Reutemann's second place in 1982.

Why it matters:

The meeting between two of Argentina's biggest sports stars highlights the growing crossover between F1 and global football. Colapinto's result also marks a resurgence for Argentine motorsport, which hasn't seen a driver finish this high in over four decades.

The details:

• Colapinto described the encounter as a 'dream meeting' that happened without cameras or marketing – just two Argentine athletes talking.
• Messi, who was a guest of Mercedes at the Miami GP, asked Colapinto about his demo run in Buenos Aires and showed surprising knowledge of F1. "He actually knew quite a lot," Colapinto said. "He surprised me."
• The conversation also included Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo de Paul, who joined Messi at the track.
• On track, Colapinto qualified in the top 10 for both the Sprint and the grand prix. He finished 10th in the Sprint and then eighth on the road in the main race, promoted to seventh after Charles Leclerc received a 20-second penalty.
• That result matched Colapinto's career-best from the 2024 Azerbaijan GP and is the best finish by an Argentine driver this century.

What's next:

Colapinto aims to build on this momentum as Alpine continues to improve. His performance at Miami – in front of his idol – suggests he could become a regular points contender. The team has shown steady progress in 2026, and Colapinto's ability to deliver under pressure is drawing comparisons to the country's past F1 greats.