Franco Colapinto is a strong contender for a Red Bull seat in 2025 (Image: Getty)
’s commercial appeal could be the key to landing the 21-year-old a drive alongside for the 2025 campaign. The Argentinian racer is battling , and for the final seat.
Earlier this summer, Colapinto was a relative unknown to casual F1 fans, but after scoring points in two of his first four races on the grid since replacing , his stock has boomed in the paddock.
Williams have already secured their 2025 line-up with and , so Colapinto is looking elsewhere for a full-time opportunity. The system looks like his most likely landing spot, and according to reports, is weighing up throwing him straight into the deep end.
If he is to secure a seat for 2025, sponsorship could play a major role. Colapinto has captured the hearts of Argentina’s passionate and vast motorsport fanbase, and with this has come significant commercial gains for Williams and unprecedented social media interaction.
This is a major advantage he has over Lawson and Tsunoda. For the Latin American leg of the season, the Williams cars were adorned with striking yellow panels after a partnership was reached with e-commerce giant Mercado Libre back in August, following Colapinto’s arrival.
Some reports state that Carlos Slim – formerly the richest man in the world, and current backer of Perez – is interested in discussing financial support for Colapinto. This would no doubt be appealing to , who already benefit from Checo’s vast array of sponsors.
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Carlos Slim is interested in backing Franco Colapinto’s F1 career (Image: Getty)
“If there was an opportunity to talk about something with Franco, it would not be anything related to Checo,” Slim told ESPN when asked about the reports. “We always seek to support Latin American drivers, Franco is doing very well.
“But without a doubt, our important project has always been to continue building the development of Mexican drivers and Checo, without a doubt, is the one who represents us all.”
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Verstappen wouldn’t mind teaming up with the Pilar-based racer either. “I don’t know,” the three-time world champion said when asked about a possible link-up. “It’s a bit difficult for me to answer. I’m busy with other things to improve.
“He’s doing a great job at the moment in Formula One, so that’s great to see. I understand, of course, that it’s very attractive for a lot of teams to have him, so it’s up to the team also to see what they want to do.”