An important sponsor of Alpine replacement driver Franco Colapinto made the headlines during the week with the statement that the young Argentine will take over the place of Jack Doohan at the Formula 1 race in Imola. In the meantime, the donor no longer wants to say or meant it.
The excitement around Franco Colapinto was great during the week when YPF boss Horacio Marin claimed after an interview with the broadcaster “A24” that the Argentinian would take over Jack Doohan’s alpine cockpit at the Formula 1 race in Imola.
What made things quite credible: The head of the oil company did not make the statement during the interview, but at the time when the credits were already running. He obviously thought that his microphone had been switched off. But it wasn’t. During the conversation, he had said shortly before that he did not know when the Argentine Doohans, funded by his company, would take place.
“I hope he will drive in Imola”
The echo on his statement apparently also caught Marin cold. The company president was forced to correct himself towards “La Nacion” and said that he was simply misunderstood.
“What I wanted to say is that I hope that he will drive in Imola. And if that happens, he will call me,” Marin explained his misunderstood statement. In his position, he couldn’t know anything about Colapinto’s Formula 1 future. “I have an extraordinary relationship with him, but I’m not talking to him all day,” said Marin.
The statement by the YPF President had also spread in no time because it is an open secret in Formula 1 circles that Colapinto will take over the Cockpit from Doohan during the season. However, several media recently reported that the Australian will probably get at least half a season on probation and be allowed to stay until summer.