Franco Colapinto came into the sport as a virtual nobody. Driving for the Williams Academy in F2, the Argentinian was picked out by James Vowles as an unlikely replacement for the misfiring Logan Sargeant from the 2024 Italian GP onwards. However, with only a handful of races under his belt, the 21-year-old has stamped his authority in the paddock as a future star. Despite this, going into the 2025 season, Colapinto is without a race seat.
Williams announced earlier this year that Carlos Sainz would be joining the Grove-based team next season to partner alongside existing driver Alex Albon. Hence, Colapinto is only a stop-gap in Vowles’ plans. However, his performances so far—including points finishes at Baku and Austin—have helped him make a compelling case for a full-time seat next year.
The young Argentinian rookie himself resonated with this belief. He told Martin Brundle (as quoted by Chequered Flag on YouTube), “Look, I’m sure I’m going to be back in the future…in 2026, 2027. I’m sure I’m going to be back.”
Franco Colapinto is unlikely to be at the wheel of a Red Bull-owned RB in 2025, Dr Helmut Marko has revealed.
At the Mexican GP, Sky Italia reporter Roberto Chinchero reported that Red Bull has made an offer to the Argentine rookie, who has impressed since replacing Logan… pic.twitter.com/nlIzl49VOl
— F1 Chronicle (@F1Chronicle) October 26, 2024
Behind the scenes, Vowles has been working hard to secure a race seat for Colapinto with Audi (to be Sauber till 2025), who have already signed Nico Hulkenberg and are in search of the German’s teammate.
That said, Colapinto himself is aware that his chances are not guaranteed, as in F1, the competition is huge, and the number of seats, is limited. However, he is still focused on the remaining five races to ensure that he makes the best impression possible on the entire F1 paddock to be in with a chance of making a return in the future.
Can Colapinto drive in 2025?
Colapinto’s most realistic shot at a seat next year would be as Hulkenberg’s teammate at Sauber. However, he isn’t the only driver vying for the spot; incumbent Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas and F2 star Gabriel Bortoleto are also in the mix for 2025.
The reports coming out in the media point to the fact that new Audi COO, Mattia Binotto is in favor of going for youth as against experience. This means that Bottas, despite being a 10-time race winner in F1, could miss out on a spot in favor of a younger driver with the potential to become a star.
The catch, however, is that if Williams isn’t willing to release Colapinto, then, Binotto would look at other options. Hence, it all boils down to how Williams and Vowles negotiate Colapinto’s future — at least in terms of 2025.
