After more than 500 races covering F1 and motorsport, Argentinian journalist Juan Fossaroli has become one of the most recognisable faces in the paddock. During the Austrian GP, he showed me the bracelets he wears on his right wrist while holding the microphone, and shared stories of family gifts, personal travels and his friendship with Argentine driver Franco Colapinto.
For F1 fans in Argentina, Juan Fossaroli’s bracelets are almost as familiar as the ESPN microphone. Worn on the right hand, the same that holds the mic, the collection has become part of his signature image, even when his face is not in the frame. “If I’m sick, I can just give all my bracelets to somebody and pretend it’s me,” he jokes.
One of the most well-known faces in South American motorsport journalism, he has covered F1 and the paddock for 28 years, interviewed most of the sport’s drivers since before Fernando Alonso’s rise to the top in the early 2000s, and celebrated the milestone of attending his 500th race by the end of 2025.
While Juan’s bracelet selection rotates from time to time, his core pieces stay: the ones gifted by his daughter Sofia, his nephew and the Argentine driver Franco Colapinto, Juan’s friend. As soon as the string starts wearing out on one of his favorite bracelets, Juan replaces it by himself before risking it snapping.
He prefers to limit the number of bracelets he wears at any one time to a handful of pieces. If his wrist starts to feel crowded, he keeps new additions at home or carries spare ones, next in line as a replacement. When that happens, the beads Juan manages to salvage, sometimes from hotel sheets or the airplane floor, are stored in a pot of good-luck charms at home, waiting to be restrung or given a new string color.
Tiger’s eye
Juan’s very first bracelet is a Tiger’s eye piece he bought in France a few years ago, which he used to wear by itself before the collection started to take shape. Soon after he got a second one in a similar fashion but slightly different color, to wear as a pair.
Family gifts
The most treasured pieces in Juan’s collection were given to him by his 12-year-old daughter, Sofia. Her first present was one of her hair ties, gifted to him when she was five, with the promise that he would keep it whenever he traveled. “She said, ‘If you lose it, it’s going to be bad luck,’” he recalls, noting that he has worn it for 7 years straight.
Sofia also crafted him an equally colorful bracelet spelling out his name.
To match his earlier pieces in earthy colors, his daughter made him one in more muted undertones, decorated with the word Papula, a nickname for “Daddy”. Although the handmade piece broke, Juan was lucky to salvage the letters, which he now wears on a necklace. It also carries dog tags with the names of his three children. “It’s the order of Santino, Sol and Sofia. It looks like an army thing, but it’s my own spin on kids’ names,” he says.
Another favorite in Juan’s collection is a blue-beaded bracelet gifted by his nephew.
In a different shade of blue, Juan received a bracelet from his niece and goddaughter as a birthday gift in 2025. He plans to start wearing it once one of his other bracelets breaks.
Franco Colapinto
When Franco started competing in F1 in 2024, a fan gifted him a pair of bracelets bearing his name. Franco kept one for himself and gave Juan the other one, which he continues to wear today even though the ink started fading. Juan says Franco was happily surprised to see him wearing it for this long. “He said — next time I’m going to give you another one! He’s just a super nice guy.”
Juan has been reporting on Franco’s career since he raced in Formula 3. They first met in Le Mans. The two often exchange messages and sometimes hit the gym together in Buenos Aires. The Argentine journalist sees a lot of his younger self in the 23-year-old driver and knows just the right times to approach him or let him concentrate. “It’s exactly the way I was when I was his age,” he says. Franco often lights up as he walks through the paddock and spots Juan, who is also good friends with the driver’s father, Aníbal Colapinto.
Weddings, surfing and Lord of the Rings
Juan is also fond of rings and tries to always wear at least one. “It gives me confidence. If I take them off it feels like something is missing,” he says.
On his left hand, Juan points to his wedding ring, originally meant for his sister’s ceremony. Her preference for platinum inspired him to have it made in Argentina as a gift, sized to match hers and her North American fiancé’s measurements. When Juan brought them to New York just before the wedding, the couple realized the rings didn’t fit either the bride or the groom, so Juan had it refitted to his and his wife’s own wedding instead.
Juan also pointed to his other rings as travel mementos and family gifts. The silver, wave-adorned ring on his left hand was bought in Mexico, a reminder of his connection to surfing. On his right hand, Juan highlights a Lord of the Rings piece (even though it isn’t gold), also acquired during a trip to Mexico.
If he must briefly set those rings aside, Juan takes pride in always finding his way back to them, even if it takes searching all over the house or looking for them in unexpected places. “It’s not like I’m superstitious, but I’m kind of,” he says. “They must always be with me.”
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