Max Verstappen had already completed five years in F1 and established himself as the next big thing in the world of motorsport when Franco Colapinto won the Spanish F4 championship in 2019. It wasn’t tough for a young Colapinto to realize that either and choose Verstappen as his racing idol.
“I really like Verstappen. He’s a very aggressive driver, who always goes to the maximum in the races. He is one of the drivers who provides the most spectacle and the best overtaking. I really like the way he drives and the way he is. He has some moments [that are] a little spicy, but he is one of the drivers I pay attention to the most and I plan to follow in his footsteps,” said Colapinto in 2019 when asked who he looked up to.
thinking about how after franco colapinto won the f4 spanish championship he was interviewed and said this about max and now he might be racing alongside him in red bull in 2025 pic.twitter.com/LmUtNXmnpw
— mila (@vrsttppn) November 1, 2024
Fast forward to 2024 and the Argentine is sharing the grid with the three-time F1 champion. What further makes it an interesting story is that the two might soon share the Red Bull garage.
Ever since his debut, Colapinto has been impressive and rightfully grabbed the gaze of the Red Bull top brass. Rumors now suggest that the bosses at Milton Keynes are interested in having Colapinto, and not for the RB seat.
The Williams driver, however, is treading carefully, ensuring not to pay any heed to such speculations and hype his expectations. While he rubbished the Red Bull links, questioning their source, recent developments have rekindled the chatter around his future in F1.
Christian Horner and James Vowles fuel Colapinto to Red Bull rumors
It is not a common sight to see Red Bull team principal Horner in Williams’ motorhome. The crazy world of F1 saw that happening recently during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend as Horner was spotted leaving the Grove-based team’s motorhome. Naturally, all the chatter pointed towards Colapinto.
Soon enough, Williams’ team boss Vowles further fueled the rumors. Vowles admitted in an interview that he was in touch with multiple teams over a possible move for Colapinto. However, another theory has entered the rumor mills.
Some suggest Horner’s visit to Williams motorhome may have involved a possible deal to get Carlos Sainz at Red Bull. The Spaniard is slated to join Williams in 2025, leaving Colapinto out of favor. Sainz’s move to Red Bull, replacing Sergio Perez, would keep Colapinto at Williams while the Spaniard will continue to enjoy driving for a top team.
