Franco Colapinto went from hero at Silverstone to target of boos at Goodwood on Sunday, joking with English fans about Argentina's upcoming World Cup semi-final against England.
The Alpine driver, 23, was representing his team at the Goodwood Festival of Speed when Argentina booked their spot against the Three Lions by beating Switzerland 3-1 after extra time.
What did Franco Colapinto say about England?
When a presenter brought up rivalries, Colapinto didn't hold back. "My favourite rival is England on Wednesday. I was praying for England to pass so we can beat them."
The crowd jeered. Colapinto fired back: "I'm surrounded by English people… I'm scared of [Jude] Bellingham only."
He'd already signed the drivers' wall with 'vamos Argentina' and 'vamos Messi'. The presenter called him out. Colapinto shut it down: "I'm not speaking about this… We are going to do well, we keep pushing for it."
Why did the crowd turn on Franco Colapinto?
Just a week earlier, Colapinto was a hero at Silverstone. The British Grand Prix crowd loved him. But Goodwood is different — it's a British institution, and Colapinto's timing was perfect.
England had just knocked out Norway in extra time. Bellingham scored twice. Colapinto admitted that worried him. But he still wanted the matchup.
Argentina's win over Switzerland came in the early hours of Sunday morning. By the time Colapinto took the stage at Goodwood, the semi-final was set.
Franco Colapinto on his love for England
Despite the jokes, Colapinto made clear he loves racing in England. "There's so many fans! Not as many as in Argentina but close…"
He called Goodwood "the biggest festival in the world" for motorsport lovers. "To see all these cars up close and how F1 developed over the years, seeing them all together in real life… it's very special and very unique."
Colapinto has spent a lot of time in England recently. "First the sim, then Silverstone, then the sim again! I'm more in England than anywhere else. I love this place, Silverstone is one of my favourite tracks anywhere ever."
Who was Franco Colapinto's childhood hero?
Colapinto named Ayrton Senna as his idol. The Brazilian died in 1994, nine years before Colapinto was born. But his legacy still hits hard.
"Since I was very, very young, I've been a big fan of Ayrton Senna and the rivalry with Alain Prost," Colapinto said. "It's the one I grew up with, unfortunately not liking Alain too much as I was a fan of Ayrton."
He added: "Later on, I think he's an amazing driver, but being such a fan of someone, it's like the rivals of Ayrton were also my rivals."
Colapinto also mentioned Niki Lauda, James Hunt, and the Lewis Hamilton-Max Verstappen rivalry. "Lewis was my hero but I was a big fan of Max so it was tricky."
What comes next for Franco Colapinto?
Colapinto made his F1 debut in 2024 with Williams. He now drives for Alpine, another English-based team. His next race weekend is unclear, but the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday will surely be on his mind.
Argentina vs England. Colapinto vs the crowd. It's a rivalry that won't fade anytime soon.