Lionel Messi's Thrilling Visit to Mercedes Garage at the 2026 Miami Formula 1, Brings Good Luck to Franco Colapinto

Updated: May 5, 2026, 16:36 WIB Published: May 5, 2026, 16:35 WIB

Lionel Messi, the captain of Argentina's national soccer team and Inter Miami club, stunned the Formula 1 paddock at the 2026 Miami GP on Sunday (May 3, 2026) with a visit to the Mercedes AMG Petronas and BWT Alpine F1 Team garages.

The 38-year-old soccer star, accompanied by his wife and children, watched the highly anticipated Formula 1 racing event. He was photographed taking time to visit duo Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli, and George Russell.

During his visit to the Mercedes garage, Messi's children even received a driving lesson from Russell and Antonelli. What's more, Messi was also given the privilege of sitting in the W17 cockpit.

VAMOSSSS!!!The duo is together pic.twitter.com/YEGZIB4SDF

After the garage visit, Messi and his family headed to the Alpine garage, where they met 22-year-old Argentine racing driver, Franco Colapinto, a die-hard Messi fan.

Messi offered encouraging words to Colapinto, which remarkably had a significant impact on the young driver's racing performance. Unfortunately, the provided details do not reflect that Franco finished seventh, so we cannot conclude if this actually happened but it is stated it was Colapinto’s best finish to date.

After the racing event concluded, Antonelli, the winner of the event, along with Colapinto, took their time to visit Messi in the VIP viewing area where he was seated with his family. In a heartwarming gesture, Messi congratulated the duo.

Want to know the exciting moments of Lionel Messi's visit to the 2026 Miami F1 GP? Watch the video released by Mercedes AMG Petronas via X.

New Miami core memory unlocked pic.twitter.com/L7DwSDKAnu