Forget Franco Colapinto going to VCARB; the Argentine will actually be Red Bull’s “number two” next season alongside Max Verstappen.
Wait! He’s actually staying with Williams, as Christian Horner’s conversation with James Vowles in the Williams hospitality area on Friday was about Carlos Sainz, not the super sub.
F1’s silly season has gotten wild in Brazil.
On top of that, Colapinto will be joined on the F1 2025 grid by fellow Formula 2 driver Gabriel Bortoleto, who has secured a deal with Sauber that is confirmed.
These are the rumors circulating in the last 24 hours as the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend begins.
With Sergio Perez increasingly likely to lose his Red Bull seat at the end of the season, Red Bull is playing a game of driver jenga, deciding who to keep and who to let go.
After dropping Daniel Ricciardo because he couldn’t outperform Perez, Red Bull is trying out Liam Lawson, who has impressed so far.
He scored a point in his return at the United States Grand Prix, out-qualified Perez in Mexico, and will start Saturday’s Sprint in Brazil from eighth place on the grid—five spots ahead of Perez.
While it’s been suggested that Lawson’s performance will affect Perez’s future—if he does well, he might take the struggling driver’s seat—it could also influence Colapinto’s career, as he would then move to the VCARB position.
One rumor in Interlagos suggests he’s already signed, while another claims he has signed, but for Red Bull, not VCARB.
According to former Argentinian racer Rubén Daray, who first reported that Colapinto would take Logan Sargeant’s place at Williams, Colapinto “is already Red Bull’s number two driver for 2025.”
The situation heated up regarding VCARB and Red Bull when Horner was seen leaving the Williams hospitality area on Friday at Interlagos. Williams team principal James Vowles was asked about this during the Friday press conference and confirmed that Williams is “actively working with teams” to find Colapinto a race seat for 2025.
But then came a twist…
Brazilian journalist Orlando Ríos reported that Horner was not talking to Vowles about Colapinto; instead, he wants Carlos Sainz to be Verstappen’s teammate. This means Colapinto would stay at Williams as Alex Albon’s teammate.
Red Bull was reportedly interested in signing Sainz earlier this season when he looked for a new team for 2025 after being dropped by Ferrari. However, they decided against it because of past tensions between Jos Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Snr. when their sons raced for Toro Rosso.
When Sainz signed with Williams, there were rumors of a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave for Mercedes or Red Bull even before racing for Williams. However, Williams denied this.
After McLaren confirmed they’re willing to let junior driver Gabriel Bortoleto go to find a spot on next year’s grid, Auto Motor und Sport claims it is a “done deal” that the Brazilian will partner with Nico Hulkenberg next season.
The German publication states that the contract is “fixed” and the announcement is “imminent,” but Sauber chose not to make it in Brazil to avoid a “media onslaught” since Bortoleto is Brazilian.
