Maia Reficco has confirmed she and Franco Colapinto are no longer dating, telling the F1 driver he can "do whatever he wants" now. The Alpine star and the American-Argentine actress and singer have ended their relationship, with Reficco citing their "complicated lives" and living "far apart" as the reasons.
Confirmation of the Split
Reficco, 26, confirmed the news after being approached by a reporter from the Puro Show on Argentina's El Trece channel. She said: "I'm doing very well, but Fran and I are no longer together. We're on great terms. I wish him the best and I care about him a lot."
She added: "The truth is that we lead very complicated lives. We are very far away and have different schedules. I don't know if we're just at different stages in our lives, but it's complicated."
Rumours and Future Plans
When asked about rumours linking Colapinto with other women, including model Sofia Sola, 21, Reficco replied: "He's a single man and can do whatever he wants." She continued: "Fran is someone I cared for deeply, someone I loved very much, and I wish him the best. I'd love to tell you something more entertaining, but I don't have much else to add."
On the possibility of reconciliation, Reficco was clear: "I don't think we'll get back together in the future." Asked if she was looking for love again, she said: "I'm very busy with my music. I'm very happy."
Colapinto's Season and Incident
Meanwhile, Colapinto is preparing for this weekend's US Grand Prix in Austin. The 23-year-old, a national hero in Argentina, has enjoyed a solid season, sitting 12th in the standings, 13 points off his more experienced teammate Pierre Gasly.
In August, Alpine confirmed Colapinto would be retained for next season. That decision was made before his blunder during last month's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which saw him wipe out Gasly and McLaren's Lando Norris after losing control following a safety car restart. Norris subsequently called for Colapinto to be banned, saying: "It is not driving that deserves to be in Formula One. You want to be against the best drivers and when stuff like this happens, it is because, yeah, they shouldn't be there."
Colapinto accepted fault for the incident and served a five-place grid penalty at the next round in Malaysia, while Norris apologised for his comments. The reigning world champion said: "After the race, I sent Franco a message apologising for the comments I made that I simply should not have said. I know better and emotions were running high but that is not an excuse, it was wrong of me. I've made mistakes of my own over the years and I know this is very much a part of racing and fighting on the limit. Me and Franco came to a good understanding, are still good friends and are both excited to get back racing this weekend."
