24 Hours of Le MansEuropean Le Mans SeriesFIA WECFormula Regional European Championship

17-year-old Franco Colapinto set to join 24 Hours of Le Mans grid

2 Mins read
Credit: Drew Gibson

Argentinean starlet Franco Colapinto is set for a busy year in 2021, firstly he will be taking part in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine season with MP Motorsport, then he will be joining the G-Drive Racing team for the ELMS season, racing in LMP2.

If that wasn’t enough, the 17-year-old will be joining G-Drive at the opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, and the jewel in the crown event at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

It’s already been a busy year for the South American driver, he made his LMP2 debut in ASLMS, taking three pole positions, three fastest laps, and three podiums in four races, earning him the Rookie of the Year award.

For ELMS he will join Roman Rusinov, and Formula E championship leader and Mercedes-AMG F1 reserve driver Nyck de Vrie in the Aurus 01 car.

“I am super excited to race with G-Drive Racing by Algarve Pro in ELMS and pick up where we left off in Abu Dhabi. They made my first LMP2 experience unforgettable, providing me with the perfect car and everything I needed to feel comfortable in a new environment.

We took pole positions and podiums together, but a win is still missing from the list for me and I am sure that with Roman and Nyck, we will achieve that as well.’’

Credit: Sergey Savrasov

For some drivers it can take years to reach the 24 Hours of Le Mans, this is not lost on Colapinto, who knows it is a massive opportunity to be racing at the Circuit de la Sarthe at such a young age.

“Racing at Le Mans at my age, is something I couldn’t even dream of; I had my first taste of Le Mans last year at the virtual event, where I had the fastest average lap time amongst the real-life racers and now, I am ready to do it for real.

I have never competed at a race longer than 4 hours, what better way to make my 24-hour race debut than doing it at the greatest race of all with a top team and teammates.“

Alongside Rusinov, he will join former Formula 1 driver Roberto Merhi in the 6 Hours of Spa, which is due to open the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship season.

‘’If I look at the names on the 6hr of Spa entry list, it’s hard to believe that I will race against some of the best drivers in the world, including multiple world champions. This won´t change my approach to the race, we go there to win and we have the right ingredients to make it happen.’’

“I am extremely thankful to G-Drive Racing by APR for this amazing opportunity. I will give my all to do them proud and learn as much as I can from my experienced teammates.

I can’t thank Bullet enough for everything they do for me; without them, I wouldn’t be where I am now. I’d also like to say thanks to my partners ROFGO Racing, Campos Academy, Cockpit Simuladores, and Arai for their continuous support.”

Bullet Director María Catarineu added, “After Franco´s superlative performance in Asia, we are truly grateful to G-Drive Racing by APR and Roman for giving Franco this opportunity of a lifetime. To be able to compete at Le Mans and the ELMS with great teammates will be a fantastic learning experience for Franco.

We must also thank Sam (Cox), Stewart (Cox), and David Leach for ultimately choosing him for this seat, in one of the most competitive cars on the grid. We look forward to a successful season together.”

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Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Checkered Flag who grew up visiting race circuits around the UK also a freelance motorsport PR officer. Outside of motorsport a lover of music, photography, NBA and NFL.
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