Williams Racing driver Franco Colapinto has only been racing in F1 since the Italian Grand Prix but has already set incredibly high standards for himself. After scoring points in Baku and Austin, Colapinto has proved to be Williams teammate Alex Albon’s toughest match since the Thai driver joined the team in 2021. The Argentinian driver has already matched the points tallies achieved by Nicholas Latifi and Logan Sargeant, although the Mexico City Grand Prix wasn’t Colapinto’s best race.
He was eliminated in Q1 after suffering throughout qualifying with oversteer and the stewards harshly penalised Colapinto following his battle with Liam Lawson. Photo by Peter Fox – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty ImagesLawson thought their battle was clumsy but didn’t see any reason to punish the 21-year-old although his 10-second penalty didn’t affect his 12th-place finish. Colapinto is currently one of several drivers on the grid who doesn’t have a race seat for 2025.
Lawson also falls into that category, although that’s because Red Bull are deciding whether to continue his burgeoning partnership with Yuki Tsunoda, or whether he’s ready to replace Sergio Perez. A report from Formula Passion has shared where Colapinto fits into that scenario. If Lawson or Tsunoda replace Perez at Red Bull, then RB will need a second driver for next season.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Visa Cash App RB F1 Team from team principal to Red Bull relationshipLawson is in contention for a Red Bull promotion, while Tsunoda didn’t do himself any favours with two crashes in Mexico. There are concerns within Red Bull about Isack Hadjar and whether he’s ready for an F1 promotion, and Colapinto has been linked with joining RB as a result. What could prevent Franco Colapinto from joining RB next seasonThe report from Formula Passion outlines the situation for Colapinto and why moving on from Williams at the end of the year isn’t as straightforward as he would like.
That’s despite the fact that Albon and Carlos Sainz have already been confirmed as James Vowles’s drivers for 2025, leaving Colapinto at best being demoted to a reserve driver alongside potentially driving in another series. Photo by Kym Illman/Getty ImagesHowever, Williams have no interest in loaning Colapinto out to either RB or Sauber who are the other team still trying to complete their line-up. If Colapinto wants to race in F1 next year, then he needs to leave the Williams academy.
Unfortunately, the ‘economic assets’ Colapinto bring to Williams makes letting him go increasingly difficult for Vowles. READ MORE: Everything to know about Williams driver Franco Colapinto with praise to statsThe livery change made to Williams’s car for Mexico City and Brazil comes as a result of Colapinto’s growing number of Latin and South American sponsors. These issues are seen as ‘not easy to accept’ for Colapinto who now faces an uncertain timeline on when he’ll be back in F1 after this season unless something drastically changes.
Karun Chandhok explains the only way he can see RB signing Franco ColapintoColapinto is not just an extremely impressive young Formula 1 driver, but also a superb character for the sport. He has already appeared on one of the biggest Spanish chat shows – El Hormiguero – and spoke with Martin Brundle ahead of the race in Mexico after seemingly ignoring him on the grid in Austin. Karun Chandhok believes the only scenario where Colapinto joins RB is on loan from Williams, with his continuation in F1 looking less and less likely.
Danica Patrick was amazed by the interest in Colapinto in Mexico, and he’s energized a number of fans from South America who didn’t have a driver to connect to. The interest in Colapinto in Brazil is expected to be huge, and he’ll be hoping to match the level of support Lewis Hamilton receives when he goes to Interlagos.
