Lewis Hamilton advises ‘incredible’ five-point F1 driver to ‘make sure’ of one thing regarding 2025 prospects

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Lewis Hamilton has now started the second-most Formula 1 grands prix in history and has no plans to stop any time soon.

Thankfully for himself and his new team Ferrari, he is still performing at a very high level and has managed to win in a fairly sub-standard Mercedes car this year.

The W15 hasn’t been the machine to offer Hamilton a fairytale swansong season with the Silver Arrows, but he will at least depart with some silverware from his final year.

From front to back, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a driver or team that the seven-time champion hasn’t had to battle with in 2024.

Lewis Hamilton says Franco Colapinto must ‘make sure’ of 2025 options

It highlights just how much Mercedes have both struggled and excelled to a confusing degree, but it has allowed Hamilton to gain perspective on one thing.

After fighting with Formula 1 newbie Franco Colapinto at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he realised that the young Argentine may be the real deal.

He’s without a seat for 2025, but Hamilton has urged him to make sure he is making calls to put himself in the best position for any remaining seats.

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“I think he’s done an incredible job,” said Hamilton in the FIA’s Thursday press conference. “Last-minute, to be called upon and thrown into the deep end in this sport.

“So he just jumped straight in and he did a fantastic job. It’s always great to see young people and talented individuals get the opportunity to come through and shine and I think he did that in the first race really,” he continued.

“He’s saying it’s not for him to decide [whether he is on the grid in 2025], but my advice would be to make sure that, I would be pushing on my side to make sure [it’s a possibility].”

What are Colapinto’s options for 2025?

There have been various rumours over the last few weeks about where Colapinto could go next and who is interested in him.

He remains contracted to Williams, so anyone looking at his services is aware that they would have to expensively buy him out or loan him.

The Grove-based outfit aren’t likely to be too keen on letting go of their new-found star permanently though, so a loan move could be the best.

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Sauber are the only team that could look to loan him for a year or two, but if he develops into a top-tier driver they will want to keep hold of him.

Similarly, this is why Red Bull or VCARB refuse to loan him and would like his services to be exclusively theirs in the future if they hand him a seat for 2025 because they are taking the risk of hiring him.

Wherever the situation ends up, Colapinto should find comfort in his stellar performances, safe in the knowledge that one day he should have a full-time Formula 1 seat.