James Vowles ‘didn’t say no’ when David Croft asked him about surprise Franco Colapinto move

Follow us on Google Discover

The future of Franco Colapinto in Formula 1 is up in the air as speculation is growing as to where the Argentine will be in 2025.

Colapinto was drafted in to replace Logan Sargeant at Williams from Monza onwards, and in his four races so far, the 21-year-old has seriously impressed.

Finishing 12th on his debut at the Italian Grand Prix, Colapinto scored his first points in F1 in Baku by finishing eighth. He followed this up by beating teammate Alex Albon in Singapore and Austin, scoring one more point in the latter Grand Prix.

The Argentinian driver’s five points so far in F1 is four more points that Sargeant managed in almost two years with Williams. These performances have unsurprisingly led to discussions that Colapinto should be on the grid for the 2025 season.

The problem is that Colapinto’s future, for now at least, does not lie with Williams. The Grove-based team will run Albon and Carlos Sainz next season.

James Vowles ‘didn’t say no’ about Franco Colapinto’s links to Red Bull

With Williams off the table for 2025, Colapinto is in talks with Sauber over a potential loan move to the team, with James Vowles eager to continue his development in F1.

It has even been suggested that Colapinto could be poached by Red Bull, with the defending champions looking for drivers to replace the struggling Sergio Perez.

At the Mexico City Grand Prix, Vowles was asked by David Croft about these rumours, and speaking during the Sky Sports F1 coverage of FP2, the commentator highlighted that the Williams boss did not deny the speculation.

When asked about the Red Bull links, Vowles said: “It’s a very bold question. When we’re into a sensitive negotiation, you don’t give away anything at this stage. I can’t really answer that.”

Discussing the conversation, Croft said: “I had to ask him. We’re all talking about it. It does make sense. He didn’t say no.”

Is a move to Red Bull realistic for Franco Colapinto?

It is clear what talent Colapinto has and he would prove to be an incredible get for Red Bull. But the Milton Keynes-based team also have several options within their own team.

There is of course every chance that Perez could keep his seat at Red Bull given that he is contracted to the team until at least 2025. But with his poor run of form that has seen him not finish inside the top five since Miami, it is looking increasingly more likely that the Mexican’s time with the team could be coming to an end.

Liam Lawson is auditioning for a potential move to Red Bull with their junior team RB, after he was called up to replace Daniel Ricciardo for the remainder of the season. The Kiwi driver finished ninth on his return to the team at the United States Grand Prix.

Yuki Tsunoda is also a candidate for the vacant seat having largely outperformed Ricciardo for much of the 2024 season. The Japanese driver is in his fourth season with RB and is currently sat in his highest position in the drivers’ standings in 12th.