Classy Lewis Hamilton moment made ‘F1 rival’s dream come true’ despite forgetting his name | F1 | Sport

Lewis Hamilton showed his class at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by taking the time to congratulate Franco Colapinto after the finish. Colapinto later revealed that his chat with the seven-time world champion was the best moment of his day.

Colapinto made only his second ever Grand Prix start on Sunday but surprisingly finished eighth in Q3, contributing four points to an impressive 10-point tally for the struggling Williams team.

A top 10 finish on track was a statement for Colapinto, as his predecessor Logan Sargeant failed to achieve that in 36 Grand Prix starts. The Argentinian driver’s performances caught the attention of Formula 1’s most decorated driver.

Colapinto posted a photo of his interaction with Hamilton on Instagram with the caption: “My best moment of the day. How crazy and what a dream come true to shake hands with @lewishamilton after a race, wow.”

Hamilton also commented on Colapinto’s performance in his post-race interview with Sky Sports F1, and heaped praise on Oliver Bearman, who scored a point on his Haas debut after replacing the suspended Kevin Magnussen.

“All I can say is it’s really great to see talented young guys driving so well,” Hamilton said. “Oliver did a great job, racing against him… it was tough but fair. And yeah… I can’t remember the kid’s name… for Williams… Colapinto! He did a great job today too.”

Colapinto’s excellent start to Formula 1 will throw a spanner in the works for the driver market. The Argentine driver will not race for Williams in 2025, with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz both signed long-term, so the 21-year-old could look elsewhere for a full-time drive.

Mattia Binotto may step up and take notice. The Sauber boss is currently considering Valtteri Bottas and Gabriel Bortoleto for the second seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg, but with Colapinto’s track record and sponsorship potential, he’ll be hard to ignore as an option.

“They showed so much trust and confidence by putting me in a seat,” Colapinto explained after scoring his first F1 points. “It was a very difficult bet and a bet that many people did not understand. But I hope to show what I am capable of and that I deserve a seat in Formula 1.

“The idea and the opportunity that James gave me helps me to show that. I just do a lot of work to learn quickly. I have very few kilometres in a Formula 1 car, it’s only two races and one Free Practice One and a few laps in Abu Dhabi last year.”