Bullet Sports Management driver Franco Colapinto – 2019 Spanish F4 champion and 2020 rookie Toyota Racing Series winner – will contest the 10-race Formula Renault Eurocup season with MP Motorsport. The young Argentinian, who turned 17 during the COVID-19 lockdown, will continue on his successful path to the top of single-seater motor racing this weekend as the championship, which has been a breeding ground for the likes of F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, gets underway at Monza, Italy.

Despite not driving a race car since the end of the Toyota Racing Series back in early February, Franco has been staying sharp on the simulator at his home in Buenos Aires thanks to Cockpit Simulators. In June, he was the fastest pro driver (based on 10 fastest green flag laps) in the official 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual – beating the likes of Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen – and worked up to 15 hours a day for three weeks to prepare for the high-profile event.

Franco commented: “It’s super exciting to be back in a race car again! I’ve really enjoyed sim racing, and it’s a big thanks to Cockpit Simulators that I could do that, but nothing compares to being in a real car. I’m looking forward to this season ahead. As a rookie, I know I’ve got a lot to learn but I’m still aiming for the series title – I will just have to work harder and race smarter than some of the others who are more experienced than I am. I want to say thank you to everyone at Bullet Sports Management for all of the coaching, preparation and support during lockdown; for their help in finding the investors to get me on the grid; and for ensuring I safely travelled from Argentina back to Spain with all of the correct paperwork. I really wouldn’t be here without them.”

Bullet Co-Director Jamie Campbell-Walter commented: “It’s very rare that you see a young driver with the natural talent, determination to win and ability to learn that we’ve seen in Franco. He’s extremely exciting to watch and to work with and we’re confident we’re going to see some amazing things in his future. It’s no secret that he doesn’t have the family funding of some of the other competitors, and that we at Bullet Sports Management have to raise the money for him to race, but we know that all of the hard-work will pay off. We have some incredible investors who have seen his potential and we’re looking forward to going on the next step of this journey with them.”

“MP Motorsport has always been an incredibly professional team and we have a great relationship with them. In fact, another of our drivers, Oliver Goethe, will also race with them this season but in Spanish F4, which Franco won last year. Franco has a huge challenge ahead,” concludes Campbell-Walter. “There are a lot of tracks to learn and some experienced drivers on the grid, but I have no doubt that he’ll be challenging for race wins within a few rounds.”

The Formula Renault Eurocup season starts at Monza this weekend (9-11 July) and concludes in Abu Dhabi on 26-28 November, with eight rounds on Europe’s top tracks in between.