Franco Colapinto has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting young talents in Formula 1, having already managed five points after his first six races for Williams. While this might not sound like much, it’s four points more than what his predecessor Logan Sargeant accumulated in 1.5 years with Williams.
This immediate impact shows that Colapinto has the skills and composure needed to compete at the highest level of motorsport and is one of the future stars. However, Colapinto’s future in F1 remains uncertain.
Williams has already confirmed that Carlos Sainz will join the team in 2025, taking the second seat alongside Alex Albon, leaving Colapinto searching for a new opportunity elsewhere. While a spot at Sauber seemed like a possibility a few weeks ago, it has now been filled by fellow young talent Gabriel Bortoleto.
That leaves Red Bull as the only realistic option for Colapinto to stay on the F1 grid next season. Red Bull has long been struggling with its driver situation as they are looking for a capable second driver alongside Max Verstappen.
With Sergio Perez’s future uncertain, Colapinto could be in the mix as Red Bull team boss Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko have both spoken highly of the Argentine. Colapinto, however, remains unfazed by the uncertainty of who his teammate might be in the future.
Speaking to F1Maximaal, he made it clear that his focus is on outperforming whoever he goes up against. “As soon as you put on your helmet and close your visor, everyone is equal,” he said. “That’s why I don’t care who my teammate is. Whether it’s Max Verstappen or Guanyu Zhou, it doesn’t make any difference to me. In any case, I want to win and finish ahead of my teammate”.
| Franco Colapinto doesn’t care who his teammate will be.
❓ | Would you like to see the Argentinian driver alongside Max Verstappen in Red Bull? #F1 #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/izysBAEmjq— Racing Infinity (@RacingInfinity1) November 15, 2024
This bold statement reflects Colapinto’s competitive mindset and shows that he isn’t intimidated by the possibility of going up even against drivers like Verstappen, who is aiming for his fourth consecutive title this year.