Will Buxton Thinks Even James Vowles Did Not Expect Franco Colapinto to Be So Good

Franco Colapinto of Williams Racing poses for a portrait during the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Brazil

Revered Formula 1 journalist Will Buxton has dubbed the influx of young talent into the sport as a generational shift. The 2025 F1 grid is going to witness four rookie drivers — with the likes of Kimi Antonelli and Ollie Bearman already making waves in the paddock. For Buxton, however, the standout star from the class of 2024’s young drivers is Williams’ Franco Colapinto.

Discussing the Argentine’s rise in the sport, Buxton explained that his performances have come out as the biggest shock as even Williams team principal James Vowles would not have expected the 21-year-old to perform at such a high level. Drafted in as Logan Sargeant’s replacement from the Italian GP onwards, Colapinto has quickly dropped himself in a serious conversation for a full-time seat in the very near future.

“You see what Colapinto’s doing. No one…I don’t think James Vowles expected Colapinto to be that good. I don’t think Franco expected Franco to be that good. Against all expectations, he has announced himself as somebody who cannot be ignored for the future”, Buxton said on the RACER podcast.

Buxton made his remarks while explaining how Colapinto has performed in comparison to other young drivers such as Antonelli and Liam Lawson. Both Antonelli and Lawson were being touted for a seat in the sport in 2025, given their credible exploits in the junior categories.

Colapinto, on the other hand, just went under everyone’s radar. Even Colapinto himself wasn’t expecting a call-up to Williams. But his results so far have made him a star for the future that even Red Bull are considering for a potential seat at one of their two teams.

Could Colapinto be Red Bull’s latest star?

The latest rumblings in the paddock suggest that Red Bull are ready to give the Argentine racing ace the biggest break of his F1 career. The Milton-Keynes-based outfit are assessing the possibility of putting the 21-year-old alongside Max Verstappen for 2025.

But the administrative problem with this deal is on Williams’ end. With Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon locked in for the future, Vowles doesn’t want to cut ties with the Argentine. Rather, they want to give him away to Red Bull ‘on loan’.

That said, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is strictly against a deal of this nature. What this now entails is the prospect of Red Bull having to shell out a sum of $20 million to break Colapinto’s contract — something that the Milton Keynes-based outfit are very keen to do as per credible reports.

Post Edited By: Vidit Dhawan
Franco Colapinto James Vowles Will Buxton Williams

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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