The beginning of 2026 was marked on social media by a wave of nostalgia. Thousands of users started the year sharing memories from a decade ago, making 2016 one of the first viral trends of the year. In this context, Franco Colapinto's most recent post was included, joining the phenomenon with a series of personal images reflecting his beginnings in motorsports and an unexpected encounter with a Formula 1 legend. "2016! How time flies, how vintage, and how I enjoyed it!! I'm getting old. I was 12," the Argentine Alpine driver wrote on his Instagram account, where he has over five million followers. The message was accompanied by previously unseen photos from his karting days, trophies he won back then, and a video of him driving a quad bike. There were also moments shared with family, especially with his father, Anibal, who was key in his early steps and made important financial decisions to support his racing career. Among all the images, one particularly caught the eye: a picture of a young Colapinto posing with Sergio “Checo” Perez. At that time, the Mexican driver was competing for Force India and shared a team with Nico Hulkenberg. The reaction was swift. Perez commented on the post humorously: "Great photo! You made me feel old," accompanied by a laughing emoji.

A relationship marked by admiration and the Latin American path

The image rekindled memories that Colapinto himself had shared in the past about his connection as a fan of the Mexican driver. "I remember when I was very little, I followed Checo and he was the one I woke up every morning to watch race. He was the Latin American closest to Argentina, the one who spoke Spanish. He was a source of pride for us. And a couple of years later, I raced against him. Crazy," he said in a previous interview.

That encounter he referred to occurred during the nine races that Colapinto competed in with Williams at the end of the 2024 season, when he shared the track with Perez. Even at the Singapore Grand Prix, The then-Red Bull driver praised him over the radio: “Colapinto is good, he's hard to pass.” The Argentine's response was swift. "Checo is a fantastic driver. They passed us in the pits,unfortunately. He's a master, I love him dearly. I watched him as a kid in Argentina, and now to be fighting against him is something very special," he expressed. Weeks later, Perez again highlighted the young Argentine driver's current form and the sacrifices it takes for Latin Americans to reach Formula 1. "I think he's doing very well. "I have a strong connection with him because, with a Latin American driver, you go through the same things to get to Formula 1," he stated. He then elaborated on that idea: "He had to leave at a very young age. You leave your adolescence behind because you go completely alone…”