02/11/2024
NEWS STORY
Williams boss James Vowles is determined to find Argentine sensation, Franco Colapinto a place on the 2025 grid.
Since replacing Logan Sargeant the youngster has taken F1 by storm, scoring points in only his second race, out-qualifying his teammate Alex Albon in Baku and clearly willing - and eager - to mix it with the best of them.
With Albon and Carlos Sainz in place for the Grove outfit next season, Colapinto's options are slim, to put it mildly, with only Stake yet to name its full line-up. However, there remains the question of Red Bull, where Sergio Perez is likely to be dropped, but would the Mexican move to RB and Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda promoted, or will the Austrian team look outside the 'family'.
As far as Stake is concerned it is widely thought that McLaren protege, Gabriel Bortoleto has secured the seat at Stake alongside Nico Hulkenberg after the Woking outfit gave its approval..
"The best I can really tell you is we're actively working with teams that are interested to try and find the right arrangement that helps Franco, that protects Franco as well and protects all parties," said Vowles. "So it's very much in those lines.
"It's never straightforward between Formula 1 teams," he continued, "because you're fighting on track and you're trying to find a solution for a career of a young man.
"He's earning his place," he added. "He needs to do more on track to keep earning his place as a result of things, but he's shining, and that's why there's interest from teams.
"And our responsibility in that is I have a responsibility both towards him and Williams. And hopefully we'll have some great news to be able to talk to everyone about, but today that isn't available."
Asked when a decision might be made, Vowles said: "These sorts of things are always hard to do because you're talking about multiple teams talking together. But it'll be something that I'm confident before the last race of the season we'll have nailed, but it's really hard for me to pinpoint where in between those two timelines."
Meanwhile, Argentine journalist Ruben Daray, who previously predicted that Colapinto would be on the grid this season, claims that the youngster will not only be on the grid next season... but that he will be replacing Perez at Red Bull.
"More than a month ago, A Todo Motor gave you the absolute scoop that Colapinto was going to be in Formula 1 until the end of the year," he writes. "Well, today is Friday, and I'm letting you know that, at this moment, Colapinto is already Red Bull's number two driver for 2025.
"An exclusive scoop of A Todo Motor!" he adds. "I am really happy that an Argentinean, Franco Colapinto, is in a team as important as Red Bull."
With Helmut Marko having recently criticised both Lawson and Tsunoda (not to mention Perez, Norris...), it is entirely possible that Daray is on to something.
Check out our Friday gallery from Sao Paulo here.