Colapinto reveals McDonald's wish after skyrocketing to F1 fame

Franco Colapinto has revealed how he can no longer eat at McDonald's without someone taking a photograph such has been his stratospheric rise in F1.

Colapinto was thrown in at the deep end recently as Williams opted to promote its Academy product after sacking Logan Sargeant following the American's poor performances, leading to team boss James Vowles claiming he had reached the limit of what he could achieve.

After a solid debut drive in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Colapinto then excelled himself by finishing eighth in the Azerbaijan GP, scoring four points. Sargeant only managed one point in 36 races, and only then after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified from last year's United States GP.

In just a few weeks, the 21-year-old has become revered in Argentina after becoming the first driver in F1 from his country for 23 years, with sports fans even mentioning him in the same breath as football icon Lionel Messi.

Colapinto has yet to return to his homeland, where he knows it is "crazy", but even in the UK he is struggling to live up to the billing of being an overnight hero.

"I don't feel like a hero," said Colapinto, speaking to media, including RacingNews365. "I feel the same as I was...not three months but the same as I was two years ago, but no one knew me.

"Now it's like, everyone stops me, and I am like, 'Why are you stopping me? Why do you want a picture? I'd got to someone and I'd say, 'Hi,  I'm Franco', and they'd say, 'Well, we know you'."

Colapinto has footballers eager to contact him

Colapinto appreciates it is something he will have to get used to over time.

"It is a bit difficult," added Colapinto. "It has many good things and it has many bad things as well.

"I would love to be eating maybe a burger in a McDonald's with a lot of cheese, and maybe I cannot do that because they are taking pictures. You have to take a bit more care, and I am working on that."

Colapinto has confirmed that he has been contacted by numerous Argentina football players since his rapid rise to fame, although he refused to name names.

"Football players, yeah, there have been some in contact, and they have been very supportive, as are all Argentinian fans," he said.

"It's been something very big for the country, and they are just enjoying the moment.

"Maybe some players will come to some of the races that are left, just to see, so that's going to be cool as well. It's great to have so much support from so many athletes from my country."