Nov.18 (GMM) Franco Colapinto is on the way to Red Bull, according to former F1 driver and now pundit Ralf Schumacher.
The impressive rookie needs to vacate his Williams seat at the end of the year, but there have been rumours the team might keep him onboard in 2025 and allow Carlos Sainz to switch to Red Bull.
Williams rejects that theory outright, confirming that Sainz will test the 2024 car in the post-Abu Dhabi test before lining up on the grid next season.
“Carlos will drive for Williams alongside Alex Albon in 2025, forming one of the most formidable driver lineups on the grid,” the team declared in a statement.
Behind the scenes, fevered negotiations have been taking place between Williams, 21-year-old Colapinto’s management, and potential alternative teams for 2025 including Red Bull and Alpine.
Schumacher, however, says it’s clear to him where the Argentine will end up.
“There was a lot of interest in him, and not only from Helmut Marko,” he told formel1.de. “I think Colapinto is a certainty at Red Bull.”
Williams boss James Vowles has apparently been demanding $20 million to release Colapinto from his 2025 contract, but Red Bull could cover that with the youngster’s immense new commercial appeal within Argentina.
“Colapinto can bring a whole package of sponsors,” said Schumacher. “He will have closed some big deals.”
Some think Colapinto could replace the struggling Sergio Perez, although Schumacher admits a spot at Red Bull’s junior outfit RB is also possible.
“That’s a good question,” said Schumacher. “I don’t think Red Bull knows exactly either.
“Internally, the situation between Christian Horner and Helmut Marko is still not optimal. Then you have Max’s father, who is really not happy with the whole situation. It’s exciting to see how it’s all solved, but I’m pretty sure that Colapinto will end up in one of those cars.”
Schumacher does admit that a young driver like Colapinto is a risk for Red Bull Racing, even though he’s impressed with how quickly the latest influx of rookies are adapting.
“But you can still see that Formula 1 is no pony park,” he said. “You can see it with (Oscar) Piastri. It’s not quite as smooth as it sometimes looks.”