Franco Colapinto Advises Fans Against Overspending on the New Williams Merch

F1 merchandise, though trendy and fashionable among the sport’s fanbase, can often get quite expensive. Yet, it continues to sell well, driven by F1’s ever-growing popularity. Franco Colapinto, who joined Williams mid-season, urged fans to not go down that path.

In a recent interview, Colapinto acknowledged how pricey F1 merchandise can be. He even remarked that fans often buy their favorite driver’s or team’s merch, only to “spend two months eating rice” afterward.

Colapinto also expressed hope that fans would avoid spending large sums on Williams’ new merchandise, calling it heavily overpriced. To put it into perspective, a simple t-shirt costs around $60 at the official Williams store.

These exorbitant prices highlight that F1 isn’t just an expensive sport to participate in—it’s also costly for fans who want to purchase official merch. Colapinto suggested that it isn’t good value for money, likely emphasizing this due to the poor economic conditions in his home country, Argentina.

That said, the fame he has gained back home will likely encourage fans to spend on official Williams-Colapinto merchandise. His journey from being an unnoticed F2 talent to one of F1’s brightest stars in just a few weeks has become a significant talking point in the second half of the 2024 season.

Colapinto replaced an underperforming Logan Sargeant from the Italian GP onwards and has turned several heads in the paddock since then. He even finished P8 in Azerbaijan, fending off seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. Williams capitalized, and introduced a merchandise collection featuring their star driver very soon.

Colapinto could have spoiled Williams’ marketing

Fans can get their hands on the Colapinto collection at the Circuit of the Americas ahead of the US GP this weekend. In due course, it will also be available worldwide. A statement released by the Grove-based outfit read,

“Franco Colapinto has made a superb start to life in Formula 1, picking up points in just his second race at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – and ahead of just his fourth entry in the sport at the United States Grand Prix, we are so excited to announce the launch of our official Franco collection.”

However, Colapinto’s own remarks about the merchandise—urging fans not to buy it—might have undermined Williams’ sales efforts. The interview given by the Argentine received widespread praise, with one user on X (formerly Twitter) commenting, “It’s so nice to hear him talk about this because the official merch prices here are just unaffordable for most people.”

Colapinto could therefore pave the way for many drivers across various racing categories to advocate for fans from less financially stable countries and backgrounds. However, it remains to be seen how the teams will respond to this sentiment.