In the past week, rumors have emerged that Red Bull Racing might be interested in securing the services of current Williams driver Franco Colapinto, who is looking for a full-time seat in Formula 1 for 2025. A recent footage coming from outside the Williams Motorhome in Brazil has just fueled those rumors.
In the footage shared on Instagram by @f1gossipofficial, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner was seen leaving the Williams hospitality area this Friday at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Red Bull and Williams don’t typically have business between them, so it was a rare and unexpected sight for the fans.
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Given that Horner doesn’t visit other teams’ motorhomes often, it’s likely that his meeting was to discuss the future of Colapinto. Many believe Horner’s visit could mean Red Bull are having discussions to sign Colapinto, especially as the Milton Keynes-based outfit continue to evaluate its driver options for the next season.
If Colapinto does join Red Bull’s driver lineup, the most likely scenario would be that the Argentine and Yuki Tsunoda pair up for Red Bull’s sister team, RB, while the recently promoted Liam Lawson could move up to take Sergio Perez’s seat alongside Max Verstappen on the senior team.
Lawson hurt his Red Bull prospects in Mexico
While the New Zealander has been seen as a potential replacement for Perez, his recent behavior on the track against the Mexican may have hurt his prospects. During the Mexican Grand Prix, Lawson not only fought aggressively with Perez, but he also showed an impolite hand gesture to the 34-year-old as he overtook him later in the race.
This gesture has reportedly annoyed Red Bull’s top management, especially Helmut Marko, who has publicly commented that he didn’t approve of Lawson’s actions. If Red Bull’s management decides that Lawson’s conduct was out of line, they might opt for a different 2025 lineup, giving Colapinto a shot at the main Red Bull seat alongside Verstappen while keeping the New Zealander with RB.
| Christian Horner confirms that Red Bull have asked about Franco Colapinto’s availability.
Key information below:https://t.co/LdrH8XD7cB
— formularacers (@formularacers_) October 30, 2024
It wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see the Argentine driving for Red Bull, considering how much he has impressed everyone in and around the paddock. Colapinto’s stock has been rising rapidly with even seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton commenting that the 21-year-old has ‘earned his right’ to race in F1.
