Lionel Scaloni praised Franco Colapinto again: 'One gets up to see him'

While finalizing details for the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Scaloni took a moment to step away from the world of soccer to talk about another of his great passions: motorsport. And, as is the case with many Argentinians, the name that quickly came up was Franco Colapinto.

First of all, the world champion coach explained that his connection to motorsport goes back to his childhood and that the emergence of an Argentine in Formula 1 has reignited a special hope. “I have always been a car enthusiast, and having a driver in Formula 1 is something incredible for us. We are a car-loving country too, not just a soccer-loving one,” he stated in an interview with Olé.

The coach of the Argentine National Team expressed his enthusiasm for the current situation of the driver from Alpine and acknowledged that he closely follows each of his steps. He even revealed that there is a true fanaticism for the young driver from Buenos Aires in his home. "My son is a fan, a fan. He sends me messages, sometimes he reminds me of the schedules. He bought everything from Colapinto, from the team, he is in love," he shared.

Beyond admitting that he is not a specialist in technical matters of the sport, the coach highlighted both the performance of the driver and the evolution of the team. "I think the car is helping him today, and he is doing very well," he analyzed.

The excitement generated by Colapinto has also changed the weekend routine for the Scaloni family. "Do you know how nice it is to have a Formula 1 weekend waiting to see him race in qualifying? Now that there is this sprint race, there are a lot more things. One gets up to watch him," he confessed.

The coach also recalled the brief encounter he had with the driver during a visit to Belgium. Although it was a short contact, it was enough for him to leave with a very good impression. "I met him in Belgium, for a little while, because I also know what it's like to be there before a qualifying session, so I tried not to disturb too much and that was it. It was enough for me to see that he is a good kid, spectacular. And I hope he does well," he concluded.