Nov.8 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone thinks a full-time race seat will emerge for promising Argentinean rookie Franco Colapinto “quickly”.
With Audi-Sauber asserting Gabriel Bortoleto for its second 2025 seat, and Colapinto needing to vacate his present Williams cockpit for Carlos Sainz on the finish of the yr, the 21-year-old is going through a return to the reserve bench.
Given how Colapinto has turned heads since changing Logan Sargeant mid-season, each on monitor and in addition within the Argentine industrial world, one fan mentioned on X that it’s “unbelievable” the teenager has obtained no provides for 2025.
“Who knowledgeable you that Franco doesn’t have any provides?” replied Colapinto’s supervisor Jamie Campbell-Walter.
It’s well-known that Colapinto’s administration, additionally together with Maria Catarineu, had been in talks with Pink Bull over the previous few weeks. It was rumoured the vitality drink firm may discover him a spot on the junior group RB, and even as Sergio Perez’s substitute at Pink Bull Racing.
One wild concept is that Pink Bull was providing to take Sainz off Williams’ arms, enabling Colapinto to remain on the Grove-based group subsequent to Alex Albon.
“Carlos is dedicated to Williams and he’s not in our plans for subsequent yr,” insisted Pink Bull boss Christian Horner.
It’s believed Pink Bull turned down Williams’ rumoured $20 million launch charge calls for for Colapinto’s companies.
“It’s a disgrace that Colapinto is being omitted in the intervening time,” former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone instructed the Swiss newspaper Blick.
“However I believe he’ll discover a free place someplace quickly.”
The most recent wild hearsay, revealed by Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport, is that Alpine govt advisor Flavio Briatore could also be contemplating ousting 2025 rookie Jack Doohan so as to pair Colapinto with Pierre Gasly subsequent yr.
Some even suppose a deal might already be signed.
“I need to state categorically that this isn’t the case,” Maria Catarineu, industrial boss at Campbell-Walter’s Bullet Sports activities Administration group, instructed Carburando.
“The reality is that nothing has been signed but, however the want to maintain Franco in Method 1 comes from all sides, together with Williams. That is what they’re engaged on.
“That is Williams’ drawback. They need Franco to remain in Method 1 in 2025.”
