Franco Colapinto arrived for the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend looking unusually gloomy, a stark contrast to his usual happy and enthusiastic presence. Wearing his cap low and headphones on, he seemed to be shielding himself from the world.
His somber demeanor was understandable as just hours earlier, he had received the sad news of the passing of his grandfather, Leonidas Colapinto. Leonidas, who was a prominent lawyer, writer, and family man, passed away at the age of 89 in Bahia Blanca, Argentina.
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Leonidas specialized in Family Law and Human Rights. He worked at the Bahia Blanca Bar Association, where he founded institutes for both Procedural Law and Family Law.
Leonidas continued working in these fields until his retirement in 2000, after which he shifted his focus to writing and authored numerous books and essays. His work often aimed to raise awareness on issues such as persecution due to gender, religion, race, and nationality.
Some of his well-known works include The Maiden at the Bonfire (The Last Days of Joan of Arc), The Biblical Legend, Myths, Plagiarisms and Lies, Iniquities of Adoption, The Incestuous Daughter, and Seduced or Pretender.
Despite the sadness of losing his grandfather, Franco made the tough decision to go forward with his race duties, showing his determination to keep proving himself on the track. It’s a decision that reflects his commitment to his passion, as he continues to chase his dream to secure a permanent seat next season.
Franco shares his love for horses with his grandfather
Apart from being a lawyer and a writer, Leonidas also had a profound love for horses. In a recent interview with the La Nueva Provincia, Franco’s father, Anibal Colapinto, shared some memories of his dad’s passion for horses.
“My father would have liked me to be short and skinny to become a jockey,” Aníbal humorously recalled. He even shared a story about how he once sold one of his father’s horses to buy his first motorcycle, which got him into a lot of trouble with Leonidas, who didn’t like motor racing.
While Leonidas wasn’t keen on his own son joining the world of motorsports, his influence didn’t keep Franco away from his dream. Franco was able to convince Anibal to support his racing passion.
However, Leonidas’ love for horses also left a mark on Franco, which the Argentine racing driver explained in an interview as quoted by clarin.com. Franco shared how he still rides horses when he returns to Argentina. He said,
“I love horse riding. Whenever I go back to Argentina in the summer I ride a lot. I really enjoy that. It takes you away a bit, you get out of the city, out of Buenos Aires, and you go to the countryside for a few days, it’s great” .
When asked if he rides well, he responded confidently, saying, “Yes, I ride well. I did when I was very young too.”
