The Miami Grand Prix had two Argentine protagonists on Sunday. One finished seventh and achieved the best result of his fledgling career in Formula 1. The other arrived at the paddock of Miami International Autodrome with Antonela Roccuzzo and her three children, and in a matter of minutes he stole all the attention on the circuit.
Lionel Messi visited Franco Colapinto before the start, and the meeting between the two most popular athletes in the country generated images that traveled around the world. The hug between the two, captured by Mercedes’ cameras and by the protagonists’ own accounts, became the most shared video of the weekend.
The visit had several chapters. Messi and his family went directly to the Mercedes garagewhere Russell explained to the captain’s children—Thiago, Mateo and Ciro, all in team clothing—how the steering wheel works. Messi himself sat in Antonelli’s car and experienced first-hand the sensation of being inside a machine capable of exceeding 300 kilometers per hour. Antonela, for her part, published a video with the intimate moments of the family day.
Messi himself spoke to the press. “We wanted to greet Franco too, we were far away”he said in dialogue with journalist Alejandra Martínez of ESPN, in reference to a previous encounter he had had with the driver days before the race. He also appeared in the family photo Maia ReficcoColapinto’s partner, in a postcard that was widely circulated online.
After the race, Messi published a series of photos on his Instagram under the title “Formula 1 and Family”. Colapinto’s response did not take long: “My dream has come true to meet you! That you have come to bank is one of the most special things I have experienced in my life. Thank you for your time and your humility. You are the best there is, a huge pleasure”wrote number 43 on the grid.
On the track, meanwhile, Colapinto finished eighth—his best result so far in the Máxima—a position he improved to seventh after a penalty to Charles Leclerc. Sunday in Miami was, for him, perfect in every way.
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