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Does Colapinto still have a chance of getting an F1 seat for 2025?
Franco Colapinto has impressed with his performances at Williams. Yet the Argentine is unlikely to be on the Formula 1 grid again in 2025. GPblog therefore lists what could be next for the young driver.
Before his debut in Formula 1, few considered Colapinto to make an impact on the drivers' market ahead of the 2025 season. Since his debut at Monza, however, Colapinto has delivered several great results, and more key members of the paddock are calling for him to get a seat for 2025. The question is, however, where would that be possible?
For 2025, there are only two seats left unannounced on paper. At Visa Cash App RB, one seat remains vacant alongside Yuki Tsunoda, and at Sauber, Nico Hulkenberg's teammate is yet to be named. However, Colapinto does not seem to be the favourite to secure a seat at neither teams. So, a year on the sidelines is looming.
Colapinto to Sauber?
At Sauber, the only team in Formula 1 without points in 2024, a seat is still vacant for 2025. Hulkenberg was announced early this year as the new driver of the Audi project, but since then, silence has followed. It is no secret that Audi had set their sights on Carlos Sainz, but the Spaniard opted for Williams instead.
After Sainz, Esteban Ocon also turned down the German project, and Yuki Tsunoda's option became more difficult when Red Bull took their option to extend the Japanese driver's contract. This leaves Tsunoda with Red Bull for another year unless Audi buys out the young driver's contract. However, that seems unlikely to happen.
Valtteri Bottas seemed the favourite for the seat at Audi for a long time, but where the Finn was confident about a 2025 seat at the start of the season, it is less and less the case. Audi seem to be weighing up experience against young talent. That young talents like Oliver Bearman, Franco Colapinto and Liam Lawson are performing well, which does not do Bottas' case any favours.
Gabriel Bortoleto, Theo Pourchaire, and Mick Schumacher were already mentioned in the list of young talents. Pourchaire is already in Sauber's training programme and is the team's reserve driver. Yet McLaren is pushing for current F2 championship leader Bortoleto, and Schumacher is also said to be still hoping for a seat in F1.
Plenty of competition, then, for Colapinto. The advantage for Colapinto is that he currently has a seat in F1 and can prove how good he is on a weekly basis. So with Colapinto, Sauber would have a little more guarantee than with a driver without experience, such as Pourchaire or Bortoleto. Whether Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley feel the same way remains to be seen.
Colapinto to Visa Cash App RB?
Another option for Colapinto is Visa Cash App RB. If so, a chain reaction would be required. First of all, Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda would have to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull, freeing up a spot at all. A scenario that would not be very surprising given recent developments.
What would be surprising, however, is Red Bull option for a driver outside of their junior programme. Colapinto is now performing well in F1, but Isack Hadjar is performing well in F2 this year. Hadjar is only 20 and still has a chance of winning the F2 title, withing against Boroleto. Hadjar has also already completed several tests with Red Bull, which would mean the Austrians know exactly what they could gain from putting the Frenchman in a full-time seat.
It would not be the first time Red Bull have chosen someone outside of their pool. For instance, Nyck de Vries was signed away from Mercedes and Brendon Hartley came completely out of nowhere in 2018. However, back then there were no Red Bull juniors on hand who had already proven themselves, that is not the case now.
Where will Colapinto drive in 2025?
Despite his excellent performances, Colapinto will have a tough time securing an F1 seat for 2025. The team he shines for has already committed to their two drivers, Alex Albon and Sainz, for 2025, and at other teams, he is not the favourite. However, if he continues to excel these coming Grand Prix weekends, it cannot be ruled out that Audi or Red Bull's management will have second thoughts.
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