Could Franco Colapinto, surprise revelation at the end of this season in Formula 1, also shake up the transfer market for 2025?
As Formula 1 enjoys its final two-week break before a final triple header to conclude its 2024 financial year, here is a new rumor igniting the transfer market with a view to 2025.
F1 transfers: an almost complete grid
At the time of writing these lines, the starting grid for the 2025 season is almost complete following the announcement of the signing by Stake F1 / Sauber of young Brazilian hopeful Gabriel Bortoleto. Crowned F3 champion last year, Fernando Alonso's protégé could achieve an impressive double feat by also winning the F2 championship that he led as a rookie.
On paper, there is only one seat left to fill, the one currently occupied by Liam Lawson at Visa Cash App RB. The New Zealander, promoted in place of a disappointing Daniel Ricciardo, is busy confirming all the good things people think of him with two ninth places and four points collected in three races.
Good performances which should a priori allow him to earn his starting stripes for 2025. But in which team? Because some pawns could still move on the chessboard. Sergio Pérez, although he has a contract signed for 2025, appears more and more in the hot seat at Red Bull, which could in the short term replace him with Lawson.
Alpine and Red Bull interested in Colapinto for 2025?
While waiting to see more clearly in the galaxy of the red bull, here is a new rumor rearing its head on the side of Alpine, whose line-up is a priori sealed with Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan under contract in 2025. But a new element has come to disrupt the transfer market: Franco Colapinto.
Since his promotion to Williams in the seat of Logan Sargeant, the 21-year-old Argentinian has surprised as much as he has amazed F1 decision-makers with his steering and his burst of speed against Alex Albon, already translated into five points scored .
Choice performances which arouse the interest of several rival teams. First Red Bull, who would not mind placing him either in the parent team in place of Pérez, or with Racing Bulls if Lawson holds more of the rope for promotion to Milton Keynes.
But also Alpine. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Flavio Briatore, the influential advisor of the Franco-English team, would consider changing his plans for 2025 by… replacing Doohan with Colapinto even before the start of the next campaign.
If this information should naturally be taken with a grain of salt, the Formula 1 transfer market has undoubtedly not finished surprising us in this 2024 season which is definitely full of surprises…
