A well-known Argentine journalist has reported that Franco Colapinto to Red Bull is a done deal for F1 2025.
The Argentinian driver is at the center of recent silly season rumors, as he has been very impressive as a rookie since taking over for Logan Sargeant after the summer break.
With a vacant seat at the VCARB team for F1 2025, there has been a lot of speculation about who will join Yuki Tsunoda next season. This uncertainty is also tied to Sergio Perez’s situation, as Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has stated that a decision about the main team’s lineup will be made after this season.
Perez has struggled with his performance and consistency throughout F1 2024, and his point totals have impacted Red Bull’s chances for the Constructors’ Championship. Senior Red Bull figures have not clearly ruled out the possibility of replacing Perez.
Although Perez has stated that his two-year contract extension with Red Bull, signed earlier this year, is secure, team boss Christian Horner has emphasized that F1 is a results-driven sport. His comments after Perez’s home race in Mexico did not reassure Perez about his future with the team.
With both Horner and Marko indicating that Colapinto is of interest to Red Bull, PlanetF1.com has learned that Horner met with Williams team boss James Vowles on Friday to discuss securing Colapinto’s services for the future.
The Red Bull boss was seen in the Williams motorhome on Friday, and Vowles later joked that Horner was there to try the coffee from a new Williams partner.
Later on Friday, Argentine journalist Ruben Daray posted on the A Todo Motor social media channel, claiming that Colapinto has already signed with Red Bull.
“More than a month ago, ‘A Todo Motor’ gave you the absolute scoop that Colapinto was going to be in Formula 1 until the end of the year,” Daray said.
“Well, today is Friday, [and] I’m letting you know that, at this moment, Colapinto is already Red Bull’s number two driver for 2025.
“[An] exclusive scoop of ‘A Todo Motor’! I am really happy that an Argentinean, Franco Colapinto, is in a team as important as Red Bull.”
Further speculation was sparked by teasing posts on X from Red Bull Argentina and ByBit Argentina, a sponsor of Red Bull Racing.
PlanetF1.com understands that while negotiations to secure Colapinto are in progress, a deal with Red Bull is far from finalized. Even with things looking good, sources have suggested that reaching a successful agreement could take weeks.
It is also understood that Red Bull is not the only team interested in Colapinto, and the other interested team is not Sauber, which is the only other team with a vacant seat for F1 2025. This suggests there is currently a competition to secure Colapinto’s services.
The Argentinian, the first driver from his country since Gaston Mazzacane more than 20 years ago, has scored points in two of his five races so far, earning five points compared to teammate Alex Albon’s 12.
More importantly, Colapinto has shown that he can closely compete with Albon and has even outperformed the more experienced British-Thai driver, despite having less preparation and seat time in the Williams.
Since Albon is well-known to Red Bull due to his history as a Red Bull driver and reserve, this gives more insight into Colapinto’s strengths and how the team views his potential.
While Red Bull is interested in Colapinto, sources have suggested that it is still uncertain whether they want to secure him for a seat with VCARB or Red Bull Racing, adding to the confusion as the season comes to an end.
Additionally, there’s a commercial aspect for Red Bull to consider—Perez’s wealthy backer, Carlos Slim, has mentioned that his companies might be open to sponsoring Colapinto.
Red Bull recently announced a new deal with AT&T for F1 2025, which might lead to Telmex reducing its involvement with Red Bull to avoid having two competing sponsors.
A decision about this is expected next month, with Slim Domit confirming that Telmex “always intends” to keep sponsoring Perez.
He has also suggested that they might consider adding Colapinto to their sponsorship, having previously supported drivers like Bruno Senna, Pietro Fittipaldi, and Esteban Gutierrez, in addition to Perez.
When asked about a potential partnership with Colapinto, Slim Domit told ESPN: “We have been with many drivers many times. If there was an opportunity to talk about something with Franco, it would not be anything related to Checo [Perez].”
