Colapinto’s F1 future in doubt, but Hamilton praises Williams rookie

Franco Colapinto has made a stunning impression since stepping into the Williams Formula 1 seat at the Italian Grand Prix, but the chances of the young Argentine remaining on the grid in 2025 seem remote, even by his own admittance.

Colapinto was thrust into the spotlight at Monza last September when he replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams with just nine races remaining on F1’s schedule.

However, the 21-year-old F2 charger lost no time showcasing his raw talent and potential among motorsport’s elite, scoring points twice in five races and never finishing lower than P12.

Despite his strong results, Colapinto’s future in F1 remains unclear. With Williams’ 2025 lineup set with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, the young gun’s options are limited.

His best hope appears to lies in the sole remaining open seat at Sauber, where he faces stiff competition from other candidates, including incumbent Valtter Bottas.

Addressing his prospects, Colapinto – who is contracted to Williams on the basis of a long-term deal – was asked whether the Grove-based outfit would be willing to release him from his current deal if a race seat for 2025 with another team was offered to him.

“Well I think I shouldn’t be the person asked about that,” he replied. “Of course, I don’t know the answer and I guess yes.

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“I think if Williams cannot give me a race seat, I think the normal thing is that they allow me to go somewhere else and they find the best opportunity for me for the future.

“But I’m not the right person to be asking. I should be the last one. I thought that I was not going to be racing in F1 next year and that’s still my first view, so I don’t really get too excited about whatever they are talking around, but let’s see.”

There have been rumors of Visa Cash App RB moving in and taking a keen interest in Colapinto’s services. However, Red Bull’s Helmut Marko has admitted that the Argentine’s long-term contract with Williams is a significant deterrent.

But Colapinto remains committed to proving his worth, even if he must wait for a seat in future seasons.

“I would like to be in Formula 1,” he told the media in Sao Paulo on Thursday. “I came very late in the year and I got an amazing opportunity with Williams. Everyone in the team gave me a lot of trust, confidence to put me in that race seat.

“I tried to do my best and get the best results possible to show that I deserve a seat here. If it’s not next year, I hope that it’s in ‘26 or ‘27. I’m not really having much pressure or anything like that.

“I’m trying to enjoy the moment and the opportunity that I’ve got. It was my dream since I was very little to drive a Formula 1 car and now to be here doing these last nine races is very special, so [I’m] just enjoying it.”

One driver who has been impressed with Colapinto’s entry into the sport is seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. The Briton praised his young colleague’s ability to step into a competitive F1 car with little preparation and still perform consistently, noting that many rookies enjoy far more time to adapt.

“The majority of us, if we’re lucky to get in the sport we have a bit of a run-up – if you look at young Kimi [Antonelli] for example, he’s got a lot of test days before his first race. I think he will have over 20 days or something in the car which is unprecedented,” Hamilton explained.

“For this guy here, he didn’t have that. He just jumped straight in and did a fantastic job, and it was really great to see young people and young talented individuals to get the opportunity to come through and shine. I think he did that in the first race.”

Hamilton not only praised Colapinto’s skill but also his sportsmanship, recalling a close race with the young driver in Baku in mid-September.

“We had a great little battle”, he recalled . “It was super safe, it was hard but fair. I think he’s earned his right to be here.

“There still is a seat available and he’s saying it’s not for him to decide, but my advice would be to make sure that… I’d be pushing on my side to do absolutely everything.

“I think that he’s just got to continue to focus on doing his job every weekend as he is. Hopefully he’s got good people behind him who are doing the right job to make sure that he’s here racing next year.”

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