F1 News: Yuki Tsunoda Addresses Franco Colapinto's Potential Red Bull Move

Saajan Jogia | Nov 20, 2024

Oct 18, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team driver Yuki Tsunoda (22) of Team Japan walks through the paddock area before practice for the 2024 US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Yuki Tsunoda has suggested it would be surprising if Red Bull didn’t consider Williams’ interim driver, Franco Colapinto for a seat in the future, including in its junior team VCARB. Colapinto is currently filling in for Logan Sargeant, but his role is temporary, as Carlos Sainz is set to take over in the 2025 season.

Despite showcasing stellar performance since his F1 debut at the Italian Grand Prix, which caught the attention of many, including Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, Colapinto remains without a full-time F1 seat for the next season.

He was linked to a 2025 seat at Sauber alongside Nico Hulkenberg, but talks eventually fell through since the team signed F2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto. There has been speculation that Colapinto could replace the struggling Sergio Perez at Red Bull in 2025, provided Red Bull agrees to sign him on loan from Williams. Red Bull also has potential candidates within its junior team, with Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda both under evaluation for a possible promotion to Red Bull next year.

There is also the possibility that Lawson could be promoted to a seat alongside Max Verstappen, while Colapinto would replace him at VCARB alongside the Japanese driver. What fueled the speculation of his move to Red Bull was Horner's visit to the Williams motorhome at Interlagos to potentially discuss the possibility of the Argentine driving one of Red Bull's cars. When Tsunoda was asked about the 21-year-old's potential move to Red Bull or VCARB in the future, he said:

"He's definitely doing a good job.

"To be honest, I don't know much about those things and I didn't see much, [but] if it's not an option, I'll be surprised. 

"He's doing well and he doesn't have a seat so far for next season... so yeah, I think so."

Verstappen also offered his stance on Colapinto's chances of being a Red Bull driver in the future and emphasized the non-availability of opportunities for young talent on the F1 grid. He said:

"It's complicated to answer that because he's still contracted to Williams.

"He's doing a great job. I think also Williams is probably scratching their heads a bit about what to do with Franco."

He added:

"For me personally, it just shows that teams in general just need to be more open to put young talents in and trust them.

"Because now you have this kind of situation where he's a Williams junior and potentially has to leave or try to find luck elsewhere while they could have put him in the car."

The three-time world champion, on his way to securing his fourth, confirmed that Colapinto deserves a seat in Formula 1. He added:

"Whatever he decides or his management decides to do, does he deserve a spot on the grid? I think with what he has shown so far, yes. But it's not easy to find a spot at the moment."