Franco Colapinto has impressed since his F1 debut with Williams at Monza last month, yet the talented young Argentine isn’t optimistic about his chances of securing the only remaining spot on the 2025 F1 grid – the second seat at Sauber alongside Nico Hülkenberg.
While his strong performances – which include a top ten finish in his second race in Azerbaijan – have put him on the radar, Colapinto is focused on concluding the 2024 F1 season with a positive review.
However, his approach to the future is marked by cautious optimism, as he knows all too well that the stakes are high for 2025.
“It’s my dream to stay in Formula 1, that’s what I’m working for,” he told The Fast and the Curious. “I am going race by race.
“This year I got an amazing opportunity that I took with both hands, but my goal is to stay in Formula 1. I came to stay, that’s the reality, so I am giving my best to try to show everybody what I am capable of and that I deserve a seat in Formula 1.
“I’m doing well at the moment, so that’s all going in the right direction. But of course the seat point of view, it is looking very tough for next year.
“I’m not thinking about 2025, not really, I’m fully focused on this year and what we have to do about the great opportunity that I have for 2024 and to finish the year on a high and then we will see what I do in 2025.
“There is time to think in December when the year finishes what I am going to do.”
From Williams team boss James Vowles who has lauded his calm and maturity to the praise bestowed upon him by several of his F1 colleagues, including Lewis Hamilton, Colapinto has so far earned his fair shares of plaudits from motorsport’s elite.
But one of the strongest endorsements came from Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who had a direct battle with Colapinto during the Singapore Grand Prix.
The two drivers went wheel-to-wheel for several laps, with the Williams driver defending expertly in a high-pressure environment.
Perez, who has seen and raced against many emerging talents throughout his career, was quick to acknowledge Colapinto’s racecraft.
“He’s very good, difficult to pass,” Perez told his Red Bull team over the radio during their battle at Marina Bay.
In Singapore last time out, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez had a front row seat to the young Argentine’s display, having battled with the Williams driver for many laps at Marina Bay.
“He’s very good, difficult to pass,” the Mexican told his Red Bull crews over the radio in the heat of their battle.
If Colapinto misses out on the Sauber seat, his options for a full-time race seat in F1 will evaporate, leaving him to consider other paths.
A return to the FIA Formula 2 Championship, where he started his year is one possibility. However, going back to a feeder series after tasting F1 is not an ideal scenario for a young driver on the rise, as Perez explained.
“I really hope for Franco that he’s able to find that Audi [Sauber] seat,” Perez told the media in Singapore.
“For him it would be a shame after the job that he’s doing that he doesn’t get a seat for next year.
“That can risk his career going back to F2 and not having the straightforward year, having a couple of stalls with those cars. I think F2 has some work to do with their championship.”
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