The suspense around Red Bull’s second seat continues amid rumor factories churning out endless speculations. However, one name that has been trending in the past few weeks is Williams racer Franco Collapinto. In his rookie year, the Argentine replaced Logan Sargeant and scored more points. His impressive run has caught everyone’s attention, especially the teams looking to revisit the driver’s line-up. While almost every team’s line-up is locked in for 2025, Red Bull is still searching for an alternative.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit retained Sergio Perez, who is currently on a one plus one year contract. However, the decision proved futile as the Mexican racer continued to struggle on the track. This has opened the gate for several young faces to enter the senior Red Bull team. However, the Austrian outfit has shown interest in the Argentine rookie, a move that was earlier thought to be for the VCARB team. Liam Lawson was expected to be promoted to the senior RBR team, while Colapinto will accompany Yuki Tsunoda in the sister team. Surprisingly, recent developments indicate that Red Bull management may look to bring Colapinto into the main team.
Red Bull Reportedly Offered $20 Million To Williams For Colapinto
According to a recent report by Sky Italia, the Red Bull team is taking substantial strides to offer a contract to Franco Colapinto. Additionally, RBR management has offered $20 million to Williams to secure the young Argentine talent. Dutch broadcaster Jack Plooji added fuel to this rumor, suggesting Helmut Marko’s growing frustration with lackluster Sergio Perez might open the gates for Franco Colapinto.
During the Brazil race, Williams team principal James Vowel said multiple teams, including Red Bull, are interested in Franco. Vowels also praised the young racer, highlighting his hard work to secure an F1 seat. Further, the team chief wants to help Colapinto find a fixed spot in the top-tier teams.
Meanwhile, during an interaction with Kleine Zeitung, Helmut Marko said taking Colapinto on loan would be senseless. This is because the Argentine has a long-term contract with Williams. Thus, Red Bull is not interested in grooming a talent for a rival team. Also, the Milton Keynes-based outfit has a long list of drivers from its young academy program waiting for a chance. That said, RBR may still seek to capitalize on Colapinto if Williams accepts the reported $20 million offer.
Franco Colapinto Unsure Of Getting A Red Bull Seat In 2025
On the other hand, Franco Colapinto has expressed confusion over recent rumors about his potential Formula 1 future. He stated that he didn’t fully understand where the speculation was coming from. Currently, he has no F1 seat for the upcoming season and isn’t racing in Formula 1 at the moment. Colapinto mentioned that he is likely to compete elsewhere next year but remains focused on his long-term goal of returning to F1.
He acknowledged that there may be a gap year where he won’t be racing in F1, but he is determined to prove himself worthy of a seat in the future. Colapinto’s ambition is to return to Formula 1 by the 2026 or 2027 seasons, and he is working hard to demonstrate his talent and potential in every race he participates in.