There was already no doubt that the Argentine driver was a social media “star.” And the video with which Franco Colapinto announced his return to F1 with Alpine confirms what was already evident during his previous time in the paddock.
The news had been circulating for a while, but it only became official just before the Imola weekend. After just six races since the start of the year, Flavio Briatore decided to make the much-anticipated swap between car number 43 and Jack Doohan. However, this change might not be final, since as explained in the official statement, Franco Colapinto will have only five races to convince Alpine to keep him alongside Pierre Gasly for the second part of the season as well.
The announcement video goes viral
Taking advantage of his personal sponsor, ‘Mercado Libre’, Colapinto chose a rather unique way to announce his return to F1. In the video, a delivery man knocks on Franco Colapinto’s door with a package to deliver.
“But weren’t you a driver?” the delivery man asks.
“Yes, I used to drive,” Colapinto replies.
“I need the password for the delivery.”
Franco Colapinto opens his phone and shows the password “Suplente” (meaning “substitute” in Spanish) before opening the package and finding his helmet inside. “See you at Imola,” Franco Colapinto then adds.
His words after the announcement
“I want to thank the team for the trust and the opportunity to race the next five Grands Prix. I will work hard to be ready for Imola and the triple-header, which I’m sure will be a challenge for everyone. Over the past few months, I’ve kept in shape and used my simulator work to prepare for this moment. I’ll try to be quick right away and deliver the results the team needs,” Colapinto said when commenting on the announcement.
Vuelve Franco y volvimos todos. Lo mejor siempre está llegando.
Orgullosos de acompañar a @FranColapinto y @alpinef1team 💪🇦🇷💛 pic.twitter.com/qOAnK1UczI— Mercado Libre Argentina (@ML_Argentina) May 7, 2025
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