Franco Colapinto said it was a dream come true to race against Lewis Hamilton after making an impression at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Argentine driver finished eighth after a late crash between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez boosted his position. Colapinto has been brought in by Williams to replace the struggling Logan Sargeant and clearly caught the eye of Hamilton.
The veteran Brit finished in ninth, once place behind Colapinto and one ahead of Oliver Bearman, who placed 10th for Haas. The 39-year-old was quick to pay tribute to the emerging talent in Formula 1 on Instagram.
He wrote: “The weekend started with a lot of positives but by the end it was a tough one for all of us. Still, we recognize what went well and will learn from what didn't. It wasn't easy, but I'm proud of every member of this team for the hard work that got us to the end.
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“Congrats to George [Russell] on the podium, and to @francolapinto and @olliebearman as well. It was a great fight, and it's amazing to see so much new talent coming in. Singapore soon, send good vibes.”
Colapinto replied: “Lewis to shake hands with you after a race was one of the most special moments I've had in my life. Really appreciate how much respect you showed. really looking forward to be meeting you back on track soon!”
The 21-year-old, who is currently only contracted to Williams for the remainder of the season, then added on his Instagram story: “It’s a dream come true to fight together on the track” before adding in Spanish: “Is he your idol! Because yes, he is mine.”
The exchange came after Hamilton briefly forgot Colapinto’s name when being interviewed after the race, which was won by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. "All I can say is it's really great to see talented young guys coming through and driving so well,” he began.
“Oliver did a great job, racing against him... it was tough, but fair. And yeah, I don't remember that kid's name, for Williams... Colapinto! He did a great job today as well."
His name is unlikely to evade his competitors for long if he continues to impress for Williams, who hadn’t scored a single point all season through Sargeant. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was also impressed by the young Argentine. He said: "That's a very strong start. He just doesn't have a seat for next year, so that's a shame for him. But it's good in any case, he's already making a mark."
