Colapinto’s future could shake up 2025 grid

Franco Colapinto’s strong entry into Formula 1 could lead to major changes to the 2025 grid.Franco Colapinto’s strong arrival in Formula 1 and rumours of a move to Red Bull could shake up the 2025 grid.

The 21-year-old, who has impressed since replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams, has scored points in two of his six races with the Grove-based team.

Despite Colapinto not having a full-time seat for 2025, Williams team boss James Vowles revealed the team is actively working with rival teams to find him a place on the grid next year.

Speculation during the Brazilian Grand Prix went as far as to suggest that Colapinto would become the Red Bull driver alongside Max Verstappen, taking over from the struggling Sergio Perez .

The interest in the Argentinian was confirmed by Red Bull executives themselves during the Interlagos weekend.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner visited the Williams caravan to meet Vowles, in a move that attracted attention in the paddock.

But even though Colapinto’s name has been linked to Red Bull, it remains unclear where he will race.

Rumours from Interlagos suggest that Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko sees Liam Lawson, who has made a strong return since the US GP, as Verstappen’s teammate for 2025. In that case, Colapinto could join Yuki Tsunoda in an RB seat.

But speculation suggests Horner’s plan will be different, with Horner looking to promote Colapinto directly to Red Bull alongside Verstappen, meaning Lawson would spend his first full season in F1 at RB.

Horner aims to maximise the financial potential of Colapinto, which is rapidly gaining popularity in Argentina and across Central and South America, but it is considered a risky move given Colapinto’s limited experience as he was still racing in Formula 2 at the start of the year.

For Marko, the choice to promote Lawson represents a return to the process that saw Red Bull successfully tap into its pool of young drivers until around a decade ago.

Placing Colapinto alongside Verstappen after four seasons in the role under Sergio Perez would be a blow to the junior programme, with Red Bull having to field its young drivers at RB for a fifth consecutive season.

In the past this has been affected by the calibre of drivers, but Lawson appears to be doing everything he needs to do to be a contender for a role in the main team.

Vowles, on the other hand, has set the bar quite high for those interested in Colapinto, who is currently a Williams driver, and is reportedly demanding $20 million.

In addition, a wild rumour emerged this week linking Colapinto to Alpine , despite the team having officially confirmed Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan for 2025. Indeed, not all of these choices were made by the current management.

Young drivers Victor Martins and Doohan were scheduled to take part in Alpine’s test in Qatar last Tuesday with the 2022 specification, but Gasly also made a surprise appearance.

Some believe Gasly’s presence is due to the team’s desire to get feedback on Doohan’s performance.