Franco Colapinto’s future is still unknown, with the 21-year-old receiving interest from several teams ahead of 2025. Faced with the prospect of Red Bull trying to secure his services, Franco Colapinto makes clear he is not afraid of any teammate – even Max Verstappen.
Franco Colapinto reveals F1 mentality
Generally speaking, rookies are expected to take at least a season before getting up to speed in Formula 1.
Within the space of two months, Franco Colapinto has proven this assumption completely incorrect.
He is already performing at a very high level, already scoring points on two occasions and keeping teammate Alex Albon honest.
Because of Colapinto’s almost immediate adaptation to F1, teams are eager to sign him from Williams. Over the next few weeks, there will be intense negotiations between Williams, Red Bull and Alpine.
Speaking in a recent interview, the 21-year-old explained that is was essential to change his mentality once he joined the F1 grid:
“It’s weird, because Fernando Alonso is twice my age,” he told Cerveza Quilmes.
“So I used to watch him race when I was 8-9 years old, racing against Hamilton fighting for titles.
“And suddenly, I’m racing against him, it’s a bit of a shock.
“But the truth is that when you put your helmet on and visor down, everyone is the same.
“That little bit of fanaticism you had when you were younger goes away. You want to beat them all.
“So that competitiveness means that I don’t care who is next to me. Whether is Verstappen or Zhou, it’s the same.
“I want to win and I want to be ahead of them… If they’re still your idols, it’s very hard to beat them.”
The last few months have been extremely busy for Franco Colapinto and his management. Considering the flurry of interest for his services, things will likely stay this way for the foreseeable future.
There is no guarantee that Red Bull or Alpine will be successful in reaching an agreement with Williams.
James Vowles wants Colapinto to race in F1, but the British team principal would prefer for Colapinto to keep his Williams ties.
For a team like Red Bull, this could complicate their efforts to get a deal across the line. Another question mark is whether Christian Horner wants to put Colapinto straight into the main team, or if the 21-year-old would spend a year at VCARB first.
Ultimately, none of these factors are in Colapinto’s control. Much like in the last five races, his aim in for final stretch of 2024 will be to perform at a high level.
Assuming he can achieve this, the enthusiasm surrounding him across the paddock will only increase.
