Christian Horner has admitted that Red Bull is considering Franco Colapinto, the rookie who has been making waves since joining mid-season with Williams.
Although Carlos Sainz is set to take Colapinto's seat next year, the Argentine driver's performances have attracted notable attention, including from Red Bull.
Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya thinks Colapinto's presence at Williams may already be making Alex Albon nervous. "He is clearly putting pressure on Albon," Montoya said. "If you look at what Albon has done since Colapinto arrived... what will happen when Sainz comes to the team? Will they let Albon go?"
James Vowles, Williams' team principal who signed Colapinto to the academy long-term, has reportedly been considering options to loan him out to other teams, like Audi-Sauber or Red Bull's junior team RB. "If I were Williams, I would definitely not let Colapinto go, especially now that Carlos is heading that way," Montoya added.
Interestingly, Vowles believes Colapinto could even handle the seat alongside Max Verstappen. "He is strong enough to handle the role alongside Max (Verstappen)," Vowles is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.
Red Bull, however, has set firm terms, with Dr. Helmut Marko clarifying, "We want Colapinto in this way - all or nothing."
Red Bull Racing's Horner, though, openly acknowledged his interest, noting, "Colapinto is an interesting driver. He is surprisingly much better than was suggested in Formula 2. I would be a bad team boss if I didn't find out whether he was available."
Reports also indicate Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore is interested in Colapinto despite Alpine's confirmed 2025 lineup with Pierre Gasly and rookie Jack Doohan.
Meanwhile, Colapinto has acknowledged the complexities surrounding his future. "I would love to be in F1 but it is very complicated," he told Fox Sports Argentina. "I will do everything possible to compete in something in 2025 and maintain the pace of competition. I am sure I will return. If not in 2025 it will be in 2026 or 2027, that is for sure."
