Franco Colapinto spills on unexpected private jet invite from Lewis Hamilton

Franco Colapinto’s 2025 Formula 1 season has been highly scrutinised since he replaced Jack Doohan at Alpine, with the team currently sat at the bottom of the constructors’ standings. But following another difficult weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix, things looked up for the driver when he was offered a seat on the private jet Lewis Hamilton was travelling back to England in. 

The Argentinian was reeling after finishing 15th, and an EasyJet flight back to London certainly wasn’t going to make his weekend any more bearable. But a WhatsApp message from Hamilton to the drivers’ group chat offering a place on his jet came as a silver lining.

“Lewis is a great guy and I just had the best flight of my life with him and it was very special, very unique,” he said ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. “And you all know that he was my idol since I was very young – with Senna as well.

“To be able to fly with him, have a bit of a chat. [He asked] if someone was going to London I said ‘I’m going to London but in an EasyJet so I can’t really help you’ and then he came back saying that he had a lot of space in the plane and he invited me to go.

Franco Colapinto, Alpine

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

“So it was quite special, flying private for the first time, so two very unique experiences. And yeah, a lot of stories from Lewis, I think a very special flight, he’s a great guy, I was very, very impressed by how he is as a person and how he is as a professional, you know?

“A lot to admire as well from the person apart from the sportsman. So yeah, it was great, a dream come true and at the end I didn’t fly in my EasyJet flight, it was nice,” he ended. 

Hamilton, who used to own a Bombardier Challenger 605 before selling it in 2019 as he became more conscious of the environment, is used to travelling in such luxury. But for the young Colapinto, this must have been a tremendous moment of his career. 

Canada saw the driver finish 13th, his joint highest finish since replacing Doohan. Now, he looks forward to Austria, where he expects to be strong. 

“I think generally I’ve been feeling better, more comfortable and more connected with the car and that’s what we are looking for. At the end of the day, we are just trying to focus race by race and just trying to go step by step, then we’ll see what happens. 

“I just want to focus here on Austria, I think there is a good chance for us as a team to perform and maximise the car and then see where we end up.”

Photos from Austrian Grand Prix – Thursday