Colapinto back in F1? Horner does not rule out Sainz for Red Bull.

The future of Franco Colapinto is not yet fixed, but everything seems to indicate that he will be a reserve driver for the team Williams during the 2025 season of the Formula 1. While the Argentine enjoys his vacation, statements in Europe could have implications for the future. Indeed, Christian Horner, the director of Red Bull Racing, surprised everyone by complimenting the Spanish driver Carlos Sainz, recently signed by the Grove team.

Recently, Williams formalized the duo Carlos Sainz – Alexander Albon as its starting drivers for 2025. It remains to be seen whether Colapinto will occupy the role of reserve in the event of a problem. In the meantime, Sainz, who left Ferrari following the arrival of Lewis Hamilton, is beginning to adapt to the British structure.

At the end of December, he took the wheel of Williams' car for the first time during post-season testing. Gradually, he becomes familiar with his new team, which he chose at the start of 2024, preferring this option to other teams, including Red Bull.

It's no secret that Sainz was highly considered by the energy drink team, although in the end, they decided not to go all the way to acquire him. However, Christian Horner surprised by praising the son of the multi-champion of the Dakar Rally, and he did not rule out the possibility that he would be in the sights of the main team again in the future.

Christian Horner's statements on Carlos Sainz

Horner had to make crucial decisions following the end of the 2024 season. He thanked Sergio Pérez and paid him a substantial sum to terminate his contract. This made it possible to integrate Liam Lawson as second driver for Red Bull Racing, a young talent who quickly proved himself after a few races in VCARB (Racing Bulls).

To replace Lawson at RB, the team chose Isack Hadjaranother young pilot. In short, Red Bull opted for its academy talents for the 2025 season, ignoring drivers like Carlos Sainz, who could have been an option, even though he has already signed a contract with Williams.

Yet even though these drivers are already set for 2025, the possibility of Sainz remains on Christian Horner's mind. During an exchange with several media, including RacingNews365 and the magazine Formule1.nl, he mentioned that the Spanish driver has the door open to join Red Bull in the future.

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“Carlos (Sainz) is an excellent driver and there are still options open for him in the future“said Horner. A compliment that could have long-term consequences. “We considered his contribution and, in many ways, it would have made sense to hire Carlos, but we decided to prioritize our young talent program,” he confided.

Everything will of course depend on the performance of Red Bull with Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson. The rise of the latter represents a real challenge for the team, which has experienced mixed success. Sainz, meanwhile, is familiar with how this team works and could become a solution if Lawson fails to live up to expectations.

If Carlos Sainz leaves Williams for Red Bull, it could pave the way for Franco Colapinto

These comments from Horner may spark future interest in Carlos Sainz. If this materializes with a possible transfer, Williams could consider bringing back Franco Colapinto to replace him. Of course, this remains a suspicion puremore this could be a potential reality in the near future.

Franco Colapinto is waiting for a new opportunity (Joe Portlock/Getty Images).

Colapinto finds himself without a steering wheel for the 2025 season of the Formula 1even if rumors link him to the Alpine team, in the event of an unsatisfactory performance from Jack Doohan. However, the Argentinian is still under contract with Williams, who has been firm on their decision to keep him unless a high amount of compensation (estimated at $20 million according to La Gazzetta dello Sport) is paid.

Carlos Sainz, for his part, signed a contract with Williams valid until 2028, but with a re-evaluation option for 2026. Nevertheless, any potential interest from Red Bull would require negotiations to reach a possible agreement.

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