Colapinto fans descend on Sao Paulo to support their new F1 hero

Argentine flags and shirts have been everywhere at the Brazilian race, with large numbers of fans in the stands and crowding catwalks above the paddock for a glimpse of Colapinto up close.

The 21-year-old, who made his debut at the Italian Grand Prix in September replacing Logan Sargeant and has so far scored five points in five races, is the first Argentine driver on the grid since Gaston Mazzacane in 2001.

Colapinto told reporters: "I never had someone from Argentina (to root for) and I think it's something that the kids of nowadays have with me. And it's something very, very nice to see and just very positive."

Argentina produced five-time world champion Juan Manuel Fangio but has not been top of the podium since Carlos Reutemann's final race win in 1981, despite the popularity of the sport in the country of 45 million people that hosted a race until 1998.

Argentine Sports Secretary Daniel Scioli told Reuters. "He's been getting compliments from very experienced people. It is wonderful. He is very focused. I feel proud for everything he represents both on the sports and on the human front."

Scioli had a meeting at Interlagos with Formula One Chief Executive Stefano Domenicali in an approach to bring Formula One back to Argentina, but acknowledged there was still a lot of work ahead for a race to eventually be held there.

The Sao Paulo city hall said ahead of this weekend's race that Argentines already made up for most of the foreigners attending the Brazilian grand prix in 2023, and a further boost was expected this year due to the "new sensation".

The Williams driver has drawn praise from peers such as multiple world champions Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, who said he was doing a "great job". But the Argentine will not race for Williams in 2025 as they have already signed Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz.

He has been cited most recently as a potential replacement for Sergio Perez at Red Bull, as the Mexican - who technically has a contract for 2025 - has struggled with his performance lately.

Seven-time F1 world champion, Hamilton told reporters Colapinto needed to make sure his team was doing everything they could to find him a spot on the grid for next year: "He's earned his right to be here.

“I think that he’s just got to continue to focus on doing his job every weekend as he is. Hopefully, he’s got good people behind him who are doing the right job to make sure that he’s here racing next year," added Hamilton.

Williams team principal James Vowles acknowledged they were "exploring possibilities with a number of teams interested" but declined to elaborate, noting that anything beyond that would be speculating.

Vowles said: "He's an exceptional driver. Go look outside. There were tens of thousands of individuals here to support a driver that's been in our championship for five races. He's doing an outstanding job on track." (Reporting by Gabriel Araujo)