- Colapinto fulfils a lifelong dream by meeting Messi before Miami GP.
- Hours after a 4-3 defeat for Inter Miami, Messi watches Colapinto race.
- Delivers his best-ever F1 finish in the most personal weekend of his career.
Franco Colapinto walked away from the 2026 Miami Grand Prix with six championship points and a memory he will carry far longer than any result.
The 22-year-old Alpine driver finished seventh, the best result of his Formula 1 career, and met Lionel Messi in the same week.
For Argentina’s only driver on the current F1 grid, it was a week that delivered on both fronts.
A meeting years in the making
The groundwork for the meeting had been laid quietly. In June 2025, Colapinto sent Messi one of his Formula 2 race helmets, inscribed with a personal message, as a gesture of admiration.
During an F1 exhibition run in Buenos Aires earlier in April, he publicly said he hoped to meet Messi one day, but on his own terms, not as a scripted promotional moment.
That moment arrived in the days before the Miami Grand Prix. Colapinto visited Inter Miami’s training ground, where he sat down with Messi and Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul. There were no cameras present and no marketing agenda.
“It was something I had dreamt of all my life,” Colapinto told Motorsport.com.
“If you ask any Argentinian who they want to meet, it’s Leo. I had the chance. No cameras, no marketing. Just me, him and Rodrigo, the three of us chatting. Having a nice conversation outside of sport and more personal.”
The two Argentine athletes met again during the Miami Grand Prix weekend when Messi decided to attend the race.
Messi later spoke about the encounter on the podcast Lo del Pollo, confirming that the connection had grown gradually through mutual acquaintances.
“The truth is, I’d never had any contact with him,” Messi said via comments shared by ESPN. “He did give me a helmet, and he was also eager to meet me someday. The other day it finally happened. He was able to stop by training, and we met. He’s truly amazing.”
Messi’s words of wisdom for Colapinto
Messi attended the race on Sunday, having played in Inter Miami’s 4-3 loss to Orlando City just hours earlier.
His arrival in the paddock drew the kind of attention usually reserved for the drivers themselves. Cameras that would normally track Colapinto through the garage shifted entirely towards the football legend.
Before race day, Messi had already shared something more valuable than his presence. Speaking on Lo del Pollo, as reported by ESPN, he offered direct advice to the young driver.
“I think he has to live his own story,” Messi said. “And be prepared for a lot of things, because when you’re in the public eye, things come at you from all sides, the good and the bad.”
He also stressed the value of a reliable inner circle.
“Especially in the bad times, he needs support with those close to him, his family, his circle, because in the end, that’s what helps him get through difficult times.”
He added: “When things are going well, it’s much easier and people get closer to you, but the important thing is knowing who’s there when things are going badly.”
Those words carry extra meaning for Colapinto. He carries the expectations of an entire nation into every race weekend, and Messi’s counsel came from someone who has lived under that pressure for two decades.
Career-best result at the Miami Grand Prix
On track, Colapinto delivered. He crossed the line in eighth position, which later became seventh after Charles Leclerc received a post-race penalty, earning Alpine six points from the race.
The result did not come without incident. On the opening lap, Max Verstappen’s spin triggered a chain of events that led to the Argentine driver gaining multiple positions before making contact with Lewis Hamilton at Turn 11.
The collision damaged Hamilton’s car and cost him roughly half a second per lap, according to Hamilton’s own estimate. The stewards reviewed the collision and took no further action, ruling it a racing incident.
Untelevised footage later showed Hamilton gesturing angrily at Colapinto after overtaking him. Yet the two drivers were seen walking out of the circuit together afterwards, talking calmly, and the tension appeared to have passed.
Colapinto later told media that it was his most complete weekend since joining F1.
“I think since I got to F1, it’s been my most perfect weekend,” he said. “I am very happy with the weekend. It’s been executed really well. I think we maximised every session and we scored strong points.”
Dreams fulfilled
On Instagram, Colapinto described Messi’s visit to the race as “one of the most special things I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
Speaking via comments shared by ESPN, he reflected on the full scope of the week.
“Many dreams have come true in the last seven days,” he said. “I’m happy and enjoying the moment, seeing Leo here visiting. All the drivers were ready for the race, and I was with him in jeans.”
Colapinto left Miami with more than a career-best finish. He left with the quiet confidence of someone who had been seen, recognised and encouraged by the one person in Argentina whose opinion carries the most weight.
