Franco Colapinto revealed that Lewis Hamilton invited him to join a private jet flight from Barcelona to London following the F1 Spanish Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion offered a free ride in the F1 drivers’ WhatsApp group chat after the race, prompting Colapinto to cancel his planned commercial flight.
Hamilton asked if anyone was flying to London, and when Colapinto responded he was booked on an EasyJet flight, Hamilton invited him to fly together instead. Describing the experience at the Austrian Grand Prix, Colapinto called it
“the best flight of my life.”
Colapinto expressed his admiration for Hamilton, who has been one of his racing idols since his youth alongside Ayrton Senna. Reflecting on their time on the jet, Colapinto said it was a unique opportunity to chat with a respected sportsman while enjoying his first private flight.
He said,
“He’s a great guy and I was very, very impressed by how he is as a person and how he is as a professional. A lot to admire from the personal part from the sportsman. It was great, a dream come true and didn’t have to fly on my EasyJet flight.”
—Franco Colapinto, F1 Driver
Progress and Confidence Building Ahead of Austrian Grand Prix
Heading into the Canadian Grand Prix, Franco Colapinto was reportedly under pressure after a challenging start with Alpine. However, he delivered his best qualifying result since taking over from Jack Doohan, starting tenth in Montreal. Although he did not score points, Colapinto viewed the race as a positive milestone.
He shared,
“Canada was definitely a good step. We’ve been working hard in the team to try and understand which direction I had to go with the car, which direction was making me more comfortable with the setup.”
Colapinto highlighted the factory team‘s support in helping him regain speed when he was struggling.
The Argentine driver remains focused on gradual improvement and consistency, stating,
“At the end of the day we are just trying to focus race by race and just trying to go step by step, then we’ll see what happens. Here in Austria I think there is a good chance for us as a team to perform and maximise the car and then see where we end up.”
—Franco Colapinto, F1 Driver
Regarding external pressure, Colapinto said,
“No, just normal, like every F1 race, that’s what we live with, we are used to that and it’s just another weekend of those.”
He added,
“I think having the feeling that I’m starting to feel better with the car is something positive to me, something that makes me feel a little bit more, I wouldn’t say relaxed, but more happy in terms of just feeling more connected with the car and understanding better things that I couldn’t understand before.”
—Franco Colapinto, F1 Driver
Significance of the Private Jet Flight and Next Steps for Colapinto
The invitation to fly on Lewis Hamilton’s private jet was a memorable moment for Franco Colapinto, symbolizing a personal and professional milestone. Sharing a flight with a seven-time world champion who has inspired him since childhood strengthened Colapinto’s motivation in the highly competitive world of Formula 1.
With his recent progress at the Canadian Grand Prix and growing confidence ahead of races like Austria, Colapinto appears poised to make further gains with Alpine. His experience flying with Hamilton reflects both the camaraderie among drivers and the personal inspiration that fuels their performance on the track.
