Interlagos is the closest Franco Colapinto gets to a home grand prix, and Pierre Gasly knows the atmosphere that creates around the Alpine garage in Sao Paulo this weekend.
Argentina’s flag has become a familiar sight in Formula 1 grandstands since Colapinto ended the country’s 23-year wait for a driver on the grid in 2024. The speed and scale of the response exceeded expectations, even in a country whose ties to the sport stretch back to the inaugural world championship. And while efforts to bring a grand prix back to Argentina continue, thousands of fans have made a habit of crossing the border to watch Colapinto race at Interlagos.
That support has also had an uglier side on social media, where some accounts identifying as Colapinto supporters have directed abuse at other drivers and Alpine itself. Gasly has been on the receiving end of it from time to time since Colapinto joined the team, most recently after the Spanish Grand Prix.
Gasly sees the prospect of racing in front of so many Argentine fans in Sao Paulo as a positive, especially for his team-mate.
“I think we have Argentinians all over the world. I would say probably more in Brazil because it’s closer. You can definitely feel the support and that’s what Franco was saying. For him, it feels the closest to the home race,” Gasly said.
Asked whether the number of Argentine fans at Interlagos might put him under pressure this weekend, Gasly laughed: “I’ve been 10 years in F1 and once you deal with Helmut Marko, anything else is no pressure!”
“I know what I’ve got to do as my job and I focus on that. I think generally it’s the beauty of F1 and I get actually quite good energy in these types of moments.
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Photo by: Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
“I like to be teased and be someone that comes back. I always give my best when I’m on track. Brazil is a place where I get a lot of support, so it’s very good energy for me as well.”
Colapinto has spoken out against online abuse linked to his fan base, addressing the issue in a video he posted on social media last month. The Argentine said on Thursday that he had seen an improvement since then, though he stressed that it was something the wider community needed to keep working on.
“Yes, it improved. I think we all saw that it improved, so it’s a collective effort, not just mine,” he said. “But yeah, I already spoke about the topic, and I think that obviously, as a community, we have to keep improving, but I think everything is a bit more on track.”
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