Having delivered consistently fantastic performances since arriving to F1, Franco Colapinto is one of the most exciting prospects on the grid. Unfortunately for Colapinto, as James Vowles explains, his options in F1 next season are very limited.
Williams work to find Franco Colapinto a seat
From a long-term perspective, there is no reason why Colapinto should be worried about his F1 future. The 21-year-old is showing far too much speed to be forgotten if he cannot secure a 2025 seat.
If a full-time contract is not possible next season, then another opportunity will present itself in 2026 or beyond.
With that said, spending time away from the track is never ideal – especially for a young driver. To prevent Colapinto spending next year’s campaign as an onlooker, Williams team principal James Vowles is working to find him an opening.
Vowles working to secure a deal
However, as Vowles explained after the Singapore GP, this is no easy task:
“First and foremost, he’s worthy of being a Formula 1 driver,” he told the Beyond the Grid Podcast.
“So we will do what we have to – to a certain extent – to make it work in that regard.
“I’m not sure where Sauber are in their decision making, and I’m not sure where VCARB are in their decision making.
“What I do know is this – take the last 12 months and tell me that you managed to predict anything of what’s going to happen. Because I didn’t…
“Finding the way forward for him to be a professional racing driver in Formula 1 is key.
“I just can’t tell you what it looks like, because each team is different in how they talk.”
Still plenty of long-term opportunities for Colapinto
He added that if Franco Colapinto isn’t a full-time F1 driver next season, Williams have a plan for him.
Considering that his simulator work helped convinced James Vowles to promote him, his 2025 schedule could feature plenty of work in the factory.
Of course, it is too soon to say that every door is closed for next year. Sauber are still assessing their options, and although Colapinto is not a front-runner, he remains an obvious candidate.
VCARB could be an outside possibility, though it must be said that – as reported yesterday by LWOS – Isack Hadjar is most likely to join the Faenza team is a space becomes available.
Still, Colapinto’s value is clear for everyone to see. Williams, and several teams elsewhere on the grid, will surely fight for his signature in the future.
It is almost certainly a matter of when, not if, the 21-year-old signs a multi-year F1 contract.
