Franco Colapinto: I'm most proud of the race in Baku.

      Franco Colapinto made his Formula 1 debut with Williams a year ago and scored points in only his second race. The official championship website spoke with the 22‑year‑old Argentine, now driving for Alpine F1, and not all of the questions in this interview were about motorsport…

      Question: How would you describe yourself in three words?

      Franco Colapinto: Humble, caring and passionate.

      Question: How did you come to love Formula 1? Was there a particular moment when it all began?

      Franco Colapinto: Actually no! I’ve always loved sport, but racing most of all — when the engine roar raises your adrenaline and makes you go faster. In my youth I rode ATVs a lot. When I started watching F1 on TV, back when I was a child — I was six — I fell in love with it immediately.

      After that in Argentina I began attending motorsport events, watching Turismo Carretera and other national series. And when I got a bit older I thought I wanted to make it to Formula 1. So I moved to Europe, where my path in the World Championship began.

      Question: Where and when did you first sit behind a wheel?

      Franco Colapinto: I know the moment I really fell in love with it: when I was four, I was given my first quad bike. Actually I first sat behind a wheel at three. I’ve always liked speed and that feeling when you approach the limit of what’s possible.

      Question: How many tries did it take you to pass your driving test?

      Franco Colapinto: First time! Not like some other drivers — I’ve heard some of them failed… But it came easy to me, and I passed when I was 17. In Argentina you can get a licence a year earlier.

      Question: Who is your best friend in the paddock?

      Franco Colapinto: Probably Gabriel Bortoleto. I’ve known him for a long time, since we were karting. He’s a good guy, and we’re both from Latin America. I probably have the best relationship with him.

      Question: Which three people from the world of Formula 1, past or present, would you invite to dinner?

      Franco Colapinto: Juan Manuel Fangio, Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton. Those three drivers are the ones I’ve admired most since childhood; they were my heroes from a young age. I loved hearing all the stories about their successes in sport, about different eras, how they drove, what the differences in their approaches were, and why they were the best in their time.

      Question: Which holiday did you like the most?

      Franco Colapinto: I like beach holidays. When I was younger we used to go on holiday to Mexico and I loved it. All schoolkids love holidays, and I loved spending them on the beach. When you get older you miss that a bit. And now it’s even harder to find time to spend with family, so you start to miss it even more.

      Question: Do you have a favorite film or TV series?

      Franco Colapinto: I really like the series Suits about lawyers. But I watched that a long time ago. As for films, I like different ones — for example I’ve watched The Wolf of Wall Street many times, but I also like Rush, the film about Niki Lauda, and all kinds of action movies — it’s hard to choose!

      Question: How many languages do you speak? Are there any others you’d like to learn?

      Franco Colapinto: I’d like to learn French. I’m studying it bit by bit and gradually starting to speak it. Besides, I race for a French team, and my teammate, Pierre Gasly, is French. I’d like to understand what they’re saying. Overall I speak Spanish, Italian and English. That makes three languages. I also know a bit of Portuguese, but I can’t say it’s a fourth foreign language I’m fluent in. Maybe I know three and a half languages!

      Question: If you could try another profession for a day, what would you choose?

      Franco Colapinto: When I was younger I liked engineering professions. I studied at a technical college where we covered many engineering disciplines. Maybe I’d try my hand at engineering, but you have to study for a long time for that, and studying isn’t my favorite thing!

      Question: Many drivers say they’d like to become pilots or astronauts…

      Franco Colapinto: Yes, I agree, astronaut is a good profession. Very interesting, and it has enough adrenaline. Although I imagine that after some time in a spacecraft cabin you’d start to feel claustrophobic.

      Question: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

      Franco Colapinto: Never give up, keep pushing, even if misfortune follows you. I really like that advice — it helps in difficult moments. Fortunately there are people who always support me and push me, make me move in the right direction.

      Question: Which of your Formula 1 achievements are you most proud of?

      Franco Colapinto: I think last year’s performance in Baku, in my second race. I reached the final part of qualifying and scored points — so far that’s one of the best moments of my career.

      Question: It feels like it was yesterday, even though almost a year has passed…

      Franco Colapinto: Yes, only a year, but it feels like much less. Time flies insanely fast, a lot happens.

      Question: What would you like to be doing in five years?

      Franco Colapinto: I’d like to still be racing in Formula 1!