The Formula 1 driver’s market had plenty of twists and turns last year, but just as things were beginning to settle down, a new star suddenly entered the equation.
With nine races to go, Williams decided that they needed to drop Logan Sargeant and promoted Formula 2 driver Franco Colapinto in his place.
The young Argentine was well aware that his path onto the F1 grid in 2025 was already blocked.
Team principal James Vowles had already confirmed that Williams would be running Alex Albon and Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, but Colapinto quickly turned heads up and down the paddock.
He scored points in Baku and Austin and was the first driver to push Albon since joining the team in 2022.
Colapinto was linked with Sauber as they looked at their options for this season, but they eventually decided to pair Nico Hulkenberg with F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto.
Red Bull had three drivers signed up for 2025 towards the end of the season, but Daniel Ricciardo being dropped at the Singapore Grand Prix and Sergio Perez’s below-par performances forced team principal Christian Horner, advisor Helmut Marko and the team’s shareholders into two difficult decisions.
Perez’s Red Bull exit was confirmed at the beginning of the winter break, with Liam Lawson promoted into his seat and Isack Hadjar handed his role at Racing Bulls.
However, Red Bull were linked with Colapinto at one point when his stock was at its highest.
A report from The Race has shared what Red Bull loved in particular about the 21-year-old.
Red Bull loved Franco Colapinto’s mentality before deciding against signing him for 2025
Colapinto didn’t have the easiest route to Formula 1, moving to Europe at a young age and never having the biggest budget in any of the junior series he competed in.
He won the Spanish Formula 4 Championship but was only signed by Williams as one of their junior drivers in 2023.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links
Williams were impressed by his ninth-place finish in the 2022 Formula 3 championship and while he didn’t challenge for the title the following year, MP Motorsport offered him an F2 seat last season.
The Race reports that one of the reasons Red Bull loved Colapinto and were considering him as a driver option was because of the ‘robust mentality’ he displayed during his short time on the Formula 1 grid and his journey to reach that level.
Unfortunately for Colapinto, that wasn’t enough to earn him an unlikely race seat in 2025.
However, his decision to join Alpine during the winter break might see him make a return sooner rather than later.
Franco Colapinto backed to make 2025 Formula 1 return with Alpine
The upcoming F1 season doesn’t start for a month when the paddock descends upon Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix.
It’s Jack Doohan’s home race and after making his debut as last year’s finale in Abu Dhabi, he’ll be hoping to impress in front of thousands of Australian fans cheering him on.
Doohan’s Alpine contract runs for just a few races, meaning Alpine could make an early change to their driver line-up if they desire.
READ MORE: Who is Alpine reserve driver Franco Colapinto? Everything to know
Colapinto is the most likely choice for Alpine should they move Doohan aside given his previous F1 experience and the vast sponsorship that would potentially unlock for the team.
Juan Pablo Montoya believes F1 are trying to swap Doohan and Colapinto at Alpine, although it seems unlikely that the sport’s governing body would interfere in that type of decision.
Some Alpine insiders think Paul Aron is a better option than Colapinto if they do replace Doohan, but the Enstone-based team are set to be at the centre of Formula 1’s driver market at the beginning of 2025.
