Franco Colapinto warned why joining Red Bull could lead to ‘mortal embarrassment’ by ex-F1 driver

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Franco Colapinto has hit the ground running in Formula 1 after stepping in at Williams ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.

The Argentinian was a bold choice by the British team who needed a teammate for Alex Albon before Carlos Sainz joins next year after parting ways with Logan Sargeant.

He has driven well despite having very little seat time ahead of his Formula 1 debut with just one outing in first practice ahead of this year’s British Grand Prix.

Colapinto has already scored points twice, most impressively at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after recovering from a confidence-knocking crash in practice to finish in eighth place.

The Williams driver suffered a difficult weekend last time out at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, crashing in qualifying and then behind the Safety Car in the race.

His future is uncertain ahead of 2025, but an ex-F1 driver has warned Colapinto to avoid signing for Red Bull via quotes from Ole.

Robert Doornbos warns Franco Colapinto signing for Red Bull could lead to ‘mortal embarrassment’

Colapinto has had some fine-tuning to work on at Williams, but he has competed well alongside Albon while learning some new tracks.

He still has a lot to learn, though, as other drivers have also had strong starts only to then struggle. Nyck de Vries impressed on debut with Williams at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix but couldn’t translate that pace once he secured a full-time AlphaTauri seat.

READ MORE: Where the ‘smart money’ says Wiliams driver Franco Colapinto will be driving next season

Very few openings are available on the 2025 grid, with the only vacancy left at Red Bull’s junior team Visa Cash App RB a possibility alongside Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda.

Colapinto has also been linked with Red Bull as a replacement for Sergio Perez as Max Verstappen’s teammate, but Doornbos warned the Argentine that it may not be a good move.

He said: “Colapinto is like a fish out of water in F1 and commercially he is also very interesting. That accident in Brazil cannot be blamed only on him because of his lack of experience in the category. Despite this, he is still doing well.

“If I were Red Bull, I would definitely try to sign him. Helmut Marko has two interesting young drivers for the future [in Liam Lawson and Tsunoda], but now he has the opportunity to add a third alongside them.

“If you put him next to Max, you have to be careful not to burn him out straight away as happened with some drivers in the past. It would be a mortal embarrassment for such a great talent. But you have to give someone like Franco the opportunity to continue developing.”

Max Verstappen has knocked the confidence of many teammates in the past

Verstappen is on the verge of his fourth world championship and enjoys a car being set up in a particular way.

The Dutchman prefers a lot of grip at the front axle which makes the car difficult to drive but rewarding when on the limit.

More experienced drivers than Colapinto, such as Albon and Pierre Gasly, were a long way off the pace when teammates with Verstappen. Neither driver has competed at the front since and both are floundering in the midfield at Williams and Alpine respectively.

Colapinto may suffer a similar fate as he is still sharpening his skills at the highest level. A move to RB may be a better step, and his range of sponsors may help him get on the grid.