Williams chief James Vowles has confirmed the team is “exploring possibilities” with interested teams for Franco Colapinto to race in F1 next year — but stayed coy on what the nature of the deal might be.
Colapinto’s F1 future remains a frequent talking point as the driver market nears a close for 2025, with the only remaining seats at Sauber and RB. Red Bull, RB’s parent team, is thought to have enquired about Colapinto’s availability for next year as it considers the lineups across its two teams.
Vowles was asked on Friday at Interlagos about Colapinto’s future and said Williams was “exploring possibilities with a number of teams that are interested at the moment.” But he was reluctant to share many further details, saying there was “nothing to really communicate beyond that point.”
“We are actively working with teams that are interested to find the right arrangement,” Vowles said when pressed on whether Williams would want to retain some ties to Colapinto, adding he had a “responsibility both towards him and Williams.”
There is no room for Colapinto to race for Williams in the next two years, given the team’s existing agreements with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. Colapinto does not expect to be racing next year, and has said his focus is to try and get on the grid for 2026 or 2027.
In the event that a team wanted to free Colapinto from his Williams contract, it is likely the team would command a release fee.
Vowles was asked about a meeting with Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team boss, who a journalist claimed had been spotted leaving Williams’ hospitality at Interlagos. Vowles joked that the team had recently signed a new coffee sponsor and that Horner wanted to try it.
