F1 News: Franco Colapinto Addresses Awkward Martin Brundle Encounter

Franco Colapinto explains his awkward interaction with Martin Brundle at the US Grand Prix was due to his inexperience and focus on the race.

Williams Racing driver Franco Colapinto walks the paddock at the Formula 1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Argentine racing driver Franco Colapinto found himself at the center of what turned out to be a rather amusing encounter with Martin Brundle during the grid walk at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. The young racer's failure to acknowledge the seasoned commentator and former driver sparked a flurry of online speculation, prompting Colapinto to address the situation ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Speaking to the media ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix, the Williams driver explained:

“There isn't much of a story.

“I spoke with Williams many times and I don't have much of experience on this, of having first going to the grid, then waiting there for 30 minutes, jumping out of the car, walking around the paddock and everyone wanted to make new interviews.

“And I have been quite focused before the races, you know. And Connor [Bean, Williams press officer], he has been really helping me not do interviews on the grid, not on the grid, but in the paddock and all those things and being focused on what I have to do, that is driving, of course.”

Reflecting on the encounter with Brundle, Colapinto acknowledged the legendary driver's contributions to the sport.

“Martin, of course, he's been extremely massive - a mega, mega, mega driver and he left a legacy in the sport as well. He never did any interview [with] me and it was, at least for me, not a great moment to be speaking in the camera.

“I was going to the national anthem and I was very late. And yeah, I was focused on the race, I was focused on driving and I was just fully into that. I didn't want to speak too much.

“I love speaking now [in media sessions] and when I jump out of the car, but when I am in the racing mode, I try to be a bit more into my role and not to be giving interviews. That's it.”

Born in Pilar, Argentina, Colapinto began karting at the age of nine, winning several national titles. His transition to single-seater racing saw him claim the 2019 F4 Spanish Championship and make notable strides in the Toyota Racing Series and Formula Renault Eurocup. In 2023, he joined the Williams Driver Academy, a crucial step that facilitated his debut in F1 in 2024 with Williams Racing as he replaced Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the season. Colapinto's appointment made him the first Argentine driver in Formula One since Gastón Mazzacane in 2001.