Montoya to Red Bull: Forget Colapinto gamble, go for Sainz

Ex-F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes Red Bull should not pursue Williams rookie Franco Colapinto and instead convince the British outfit to release their recent signing Carlos Sainz, bringing him in to partner Max Verstappen for the 2025 season.

Montoya’s suggestion comes amid Red Bull's rumored interest in Colapinto, the Argentine driver who has impressed during his stand-in races with Williams this year.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has admitted to inquiring about the young gun’s availability, or rather the conditions under which his Williams counterpart James Vowles would likely agree to transfer the 21-year-old charger.

Vowles is known to be open to a loan deal with another team, given that Williams’ 2025 lineup will be comprised of Alex Albon and Sainz. But Red Bull on the opposite side is reportedly not interested in accommodating Williams on a temporary basis.

Montoya believes that putting a young apprentice like Colapinto alongside Verstappen at Red Bull might be too high a risk for both team and driver.

• Read also: Colapinto manager optimistic on rookie's 2025 F1 chances

The Colombian would have another plan in mind if he were Horner, as he told W Radio Colombia.

“If I were Christian Horner and the director of Red Bull, I would go to Williams and say, ‘look, you’re happy with Colapinto, keep him and give me Sainz’,” said the former Grand Prix driver.

“Why am I going to take the risk of replacing Checo – who is experienced in Formula 1, has won races – to put a rookie against Max.

“A rookie against Albon is tough, but you can do it. And look at Albon, whenever he has been under pressure and has had a fast team-mate he has crashed and continues to do so.

“Max doesn’t make mistakes and he doesn’t fail, so it’s complicated.”

Montoya’s view is rooted in his assessment that Red Bull needs an experienced, reliable driver, not a newcomer, to compete alongside Verstappen, particularly one capable of handling the unique pressures of driving for a top team.

The 49-year-old former driver, who raced in F1 from 2001 to 2006, believes Sainz, an experienced Grand Prix winner who began his F1 career at Toro Rosso alongside Verstappen, would be better suited for the role.

“Personally, if I were Christian, I would say to him, ‘do you like Colapinto so much and do you want to make him grow?’” said Montoya.

“Me knowing Carlos, I think he has told Williams that he signed for them, but if he doesn’t win or do podiums, if someone offers me something, every year I can leave.”

Montoya believes that Sainz, though newly committed to Williams, may have a flexible contract allowing him to leave if an opportunity with a top-tier team arises.

If this were the case, Montoya argued that Red Bull could incentivize Williams to part with Sainz immediately, allowing Williams to field a promising Colapinto-Albon lineup next season.

“Then they [Red Bull] could say to [Williams], ‘you can lose Carlos now or in a year, now you get money and next year you get no money’.

“If it was like that, that’s the move I would make for Red Bull, I wouldn’t go for Colapinto, I would go for Carlos.”

While Colapinto’s raw talent is undeniable, Montoya’s suggestion underscores the complexities of rookie integration into top-tier F1 teams and highlights the particular challenges of finding the right teammate for Verstappen.

If Red Bull heeds Montoya’s advice, the F1 grid could see a reshuffled lineup in 2025, with Williams retaining rising star Colapinto and Red Bull harnessing Sainz’s experience.

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