43
AlpineFranco Colapinto is an Argentine Formula One driver racing for BWT Alpine F1 Team. He made his F1 debut at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix with Williams Racing and became the first Argentine driver in Formula One since 2001, ending a 23 year gap. He follows in the footsteps of Argentine F1 legends Juan Manuel Fangio and Carlos Reutemann.
He is contracted at Alpine through at least the end of 2026, partnering Pierre Gasly.
Franco was born and raised in Pilar, a quiet suburb on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. He started karting at age nine and quickly showed serious talent.
When he was ready to move into car racing, his father sold the family home to pay for his 2018 F4 season. At age 14, Franco moved to Italy on his own to pursue his career. These two facts say a lot about both his family and his drive.
He holds dual Argentine and Italian citizenship. His father is of Italian descent and his mother, Andrea Trofimczuk, is of Ukrainian descent. He speaks Spanish, English, and Italian fluently, and has an intermediate level of Brazilian Portuguese.
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| Buenos Aires Regional Champion (Pre-Junior) | 2016 |
| Argentine National Champion (Pre-Junior) | 2016 |
| Buenos Aires Regional Champion (Junior) | 2017 |
| Argentine National Champion (Sudam) | 2018 |
| Youth Olympics karting exhibition winner | 2018 |
Franco debuted in the final round of 2018 with Drivex, winning the last race of the season. He returned in 2019 with FA Racing by Drivex and dominated the entire championship.
2019 final numbers: 11 wins, 10 poles, 10 fastest laps, 13 podiums, champion by around 100 points
Rookie season. Won at Imola with a last lap overtake and again at Monza in the season finale. Finished 9th in the championship with 2 wins and 5 podiums.
Won at Silverstone and Monza. Finished 4th in the championship with 2 wins and 5 podiums. Signed to the Williams Driver Academy during the year. Drove the Williams F1 car in the Abu Dhabi post-season test.
Won his first F2 race at the Imola Sprint Race, overtaking the leader on the final lap. Made his first Formula One appearance in Free Practice 1 at the 2024 British Grand Prix with Williams in July, two months before his official race debut.
On 27 August 2024, Williams replaced Logan Sargeant with Colapinto for the rest of the season. He had nine races to make his case, with Carlos Sainz Jr. already confirmed to take the seat in 2025. No long-term deal, no safety net.
Key results:
His debut triggered a huge wave of national pride in Argentina. He was featured in a Bizarrap music session, one of Latin America's biggest cultural platforms, showing that his fame quickly went well beyond sport.
Confirmed in November 2025 for the full 2026 season alongside Pierre Gasly. His second full year at Alpine, contracted through at least the end of 2026.
| Year | Series | Team | Wins | Podiums | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | F4 Spanish Championship | FA Racing / Drivex | 11 | 13 | Champion |
| 2020 | Toyota Racing Series | Kiwi Motorsport | 1 | 3 | 3rd, Rookie Champion |
| 2020 | Formula Renault Eurocup | MP Motorsport | 2 | 9 | 3rd |
| 2021 | Asian Le Mans Series | G-Drive | — | — | 3rd, Rookie Champion |
| 2021 | Formula Regional European | MP Motorsport | 2 | 3 | 6th |
| 2022 | FIA Formula 3 | Van Amersfoort Racing | 2 | 5 | 9th |
| 2023 | FIA Formula 3 | MP Motorsport | 2 | 5 | 4th |
| 2024 | FIA Formula 2 | MP Motorsport | 1+ | — | — |
| 2024 | Formula One | Williams Racing | 0 | 0 | 2 points finishes |
| 2025 | Formula One | BWT Alpine F1 | 0 | 0 | Best: 11th |
| 2026 | Formula One | BWT Alpine F1 | — | — | In progress |
| Favourite drivers | Lewis Hamilton, Ayrton Senna |
| Favourite circuit | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps |
| Football club | Boca Juniors |
| Languages | Spanish, English, Italian, Portuguese (intermediate) |
| Heritage | Argentine, Italian, Ukrainian |
| Notable | Featured in Bizarrap music session (2023) |
Last updated March 2026
