Herbert: Colapinto more than deserves a shot at Red Bull seat
Former F1 pilot Johnny Herbert made statements about young Argentinian pilot Franco Colapinto.
Christian Horner’s visit to the Williams garage in Brazil has fuelled speculation that he is eyeing Franco Colapinto, who is yet to sign a deal to replace Sergio Perez for next season. Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert has shared his views on the young Argentinian’s potential to replace Perez.
One of the arguments that secured Perez’s place at Red Bull was the large amount of sponsorship money he brought in and the interest of Mexican fans, but Herbert believes Colapinto could take on the role with the support of the Argentinian fanbase.
“The sponsorship support that Sergio brings to the team and whether Colapinto can provide that with his Argentinian sponsors is important,” Herbert told Vison4Sport.
The excitement of the Argentine fan base to have a Formula 1 driver from their own country is evident in the paddock and on social media.
Herbert noted Colapinto’s huge impact on his country, adding: “It’s exciting for Argentina to have a sports star who isn’t a footballer! In Argentina, Colapinto has already been compared by some to Lionel Messi. Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni said that on the day of Colapinto’s first race, the Italian Grand Prix, he was watching F1 on one screen and the English Premier League on the other. It’s a huge thing.”
Herbert was impressed by Colapinto’s consistency despite him having previously struggled to attract interest from Formula 1 teams, adding: “I had done a few F1 tests when I won F3 in my time and people were impressed. Testing is so limited these days. So when Colapinto got that opportunity and did it, everyone said ‘Wow’. And it wasn’t just a one-off, it was every time he got in the car.”
Herbert also considered VCARB drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson, who are other contenders for Red Bull’s top seat.
“They’ve all proven they have raw pace,” Herbert said. “It took a bit longer for Yuki but they stuck with him at RB and he’s doing well now. He was unlucky not to get on the podium in Brazil. Liam has also been able to get into the fight and his qualifying is very good, as is his race pace.”
While Herbert speaks highly of both VCARB drivers, he remains convinced that Colapinto is more deserving of the top seat.
“The person I want to see is Colapinto, unlike the other two he doesn’t have a seat yet and from what we’ve seen so far he more than deserves this chance,” Herbert concluded.
