Colapinto sponsor hits reverse on Imola prediction

May 1 (GMM) Franco Colapinto’s sponsor hit reverse gear after revealing that the young Argentine will take over from Jack Doohan at Alpine “in Imola”.

One of 21-year-old rookie Colapinto’s major backers is the Argentine oil giant YPF, whose president appeared on local broadcaster A24 earlier this week.

“I can’t tell you that,” YPF president Horacio Marin laughed when asked when Colapinto, the new team reserve, will start racing in Doohan’s place this year.

However, when the end-screen and music was playing and Marin believed his microphone was no longer broadcasting, he muttered to the interviewer: “In Imola.”

The clip went viral, prompting an about-face from Marin in a subsequent media appearance on another Argentine broadcaster, LN Mas.

“What I’m saying is that I hope he races in Imola,” the YPF president explained. “And if that happens, he’ll call me.”

Marin insisted that he has no knowledge about Colapinto’s schedule, even though a debut in Imola in just over two weeks would surely involve YPF.

“How am I supposed to get the information if I’m the president of YPF, not Colapinto’s representative?” Marin protested. “I have an extraordinary relationship with him, but I’m not talking to him all day.”

Marin says he made a similar light-hearted prediction last year, prior to Colapinto replacing Logan Sargeant mid-season at Williams.

“When I saw Franco, I told him he was going to debut in two weeks,” he said. “I told him the guy over there (Sargeant) was going to get distracted and break his car, and they were going to call him.

“Later he came to me and asked how I knew,” Marin laughed. “I wish I had bought a lottery ticket as well and won a lot of money. This is the same thing.”