Franco Colapinto is living what he always dreamed of as a child: competing in Formula 1. But even in the midst of success and global exposure, the Alpine driver admits that there's a part of his life he sometimes misses: anonymity.
In an interview with FILO News, Colapinto said that every so often he tries to escape to small towns in England, where he can walk without people staring at him or asking for photos. In those places, far from the media noise, he regains a routine that feels like his own. "Living a normal life, laughing, making mistakes without it being everywhere," he explained with a laugh.
He says that this disconnection works as a grounding cable. "Every so often I like being able, I think, to go back a bit to that world where not so many people know me. It's nice and I enjoy it, so yes, I do miss it from time to time," he admitted. Although he immediately clarifies that the memory of his journey to F1 makes up for any nostalgia: "There are moments when I'd love to go back, but then obviously when you realize how far you've come, being able to race in Formula 1 and all that, it's something that makes you much happier."
Colapinto also made a distinction between the fans who support him out of passion and those who are just looking for a photo for social media. "I enjoy it when I see the true fans who come to support me, I see all the effort they made to come and support me and that's something more than gratifying and that I really enjoy with them," he emphasized. In contrast, he explained that colder gestures don't make him feel the same way: "When it's about a photo or something not so passionate, I enjoy it less or I don't really enjoy it, but those are just moments."
