Franco Colapinto on Joining Sauber F1 Team in⁤ 2025: “No Idea”

Franco ⁣Colapinto insists he has “no idea” whether he will be favourite to maintain his new ⁤F1 career by signing with ⁤the Audi Sauber F1 Team⁤ in 2025.

Nico Hulkenberg has already signed with the Swiss-German team,​ but current Sauber⁢ drivers Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou were very ⁣nervous when asked if they would ​be on the F1 grid next year.

“In particular,” Bottas said in Singapore when‍ asked when ​he would hear from new Audi F1 boss Mattia Binotto. “I can’t go into too much detail.”

Meanwhile, Chinese driver Zhou appears to have ruled out switching⁢ sponsors and joining another team as a reserve driver next year.

“If I have to wait to come back, it will be a very ⁤short and limited time. I don’t want ‌to be the third driver ‌in F1 for the rest ‍of my life,” Guanyu Zhou said.

Audi was previously rumoured to be interested in hiring‍ two experienced drivers for⁣ 2025. But with Colapinto impressing so well at Williams and Sauber also⁣ apparently interested⁤ in Fernando Alonso’s F1 driver Gabriel ⁣Bortoto,⁢ young rookies could be back in fashion.

“Yes, I am impressed,”‌ said three-time world champion Max Verstappen when asked⁢ about the impressive ​recent results of Colapinto, 21, and⁤ new Haas driver ‍Oliver Bearman in 2025. “They do ‌a good job when‌ they get in the car. You can see he’s well prepared and doing a⁢ great job. It’s⁣ nice to see a⁣ rookie play like that.”

“I hope this ⁤opens the door for more talented up-and-comers to enter the sport in the future.”

McLaren’s ‌driver‍ program could loan 19-year-old Bortolet to Audi next year, but Williams ‍boss James Bowles has said he intends⁤ to do the same with Colapinto.

The Argentine driver will have to vacate his part-time seat at‌ Williams for Carlos Sainz at the end‍ of the year, but Colapinto confirmed⁤ that his management is ‍in contact with Sauber.

“We have no idea what’s going to happen in​ 2025,” Colapinto said. “It’s not in my thoughts right now. That’s why my⁣ agents are⁣ working on what I’m going to do in 2025.”

“Right now I’m just enjoying every moment because I have no idea how long this is going to last.”

Category: Formula 1 ‌ / Franco Colapinto / Williams Racing /‍ Sauber​ F1 Team / Audi