Racing
© Eterna
Franco Colapinto arrived at Spa-Francorchamps in a Lionel Messi Argentina shirt and admitted Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain will make him more nervous than the Belgian Grand Prix.
The Alpine driver said on Thursday that the match would carry more tension for him than the race weekend, even if his focus on Formula 1 had not changed. “It’s going to be complicated. I’m definitely going to be much more nervous for the final than for the race,” Colapinto said in a press session at Spa. He added that “Argentina and Spain playing the final, leaving out France and England. It’s the best final we could have asked for. I’m very happy.”
That mood followed Argentina’s semi-final win over England, which Colapinto said he watched on Wednesday with friends and family. He described it as “a match full of emotions” and said the final 20 minutes were “incredibly tense,” praising “the way the team represents the country.”
Colapinto called the semi-final “just a soccer match, to be honest,” but said it still felt “very special” because it was against England and because of everything surrounding it. He said Argentina’s refusal to give in had left a strong impression on him. “I’m happy for the team, happy for Messi. Very proud of my country. And I’m proud that they never gave up,” he said.
What separates the final from the race, in Colapinto’s mind, is control. He insisted he is not taking the Belgian Grand Prix lightly, but pointed out that he can still influence what happens on track, while Argentina’s fate on Sunday is out of his hands.
That makes the Spain meeting a different kind of pressure. Colapinto said the occasion feels “extra special” because both countries are Latin and speak the same language. He also called it a final to be proud of and said he will probably watch it in Belgium after the race weekend, with his attention split between his job at Spa and the match he cannot affect.