Max Verstappen casts Colapinto verdict amid ‘fixed’ Red Bull deal claim

Max Verstappen says Franco Colapinto is doing a “great job” and is a “very attractive” option in the F1 pit-lane, but the decision is Red Bull’s to make.

The F1 2025 grid is almost set, with just Red Bull remaining to determine their line-ups for next season. Officially, there is just one seat at junior team VCARB still up for grabs, but hints have been dropped about potentially wider changes to come.

Max Verstappen feels Franco Colapinto has earned an F1 seat

Sergio Perez is contracted to remain Verstappen’s team-mate for F1 2025, but his struggles for form across the current season have sparked talk that Red Bull will look to make a change.

Liam Lawson is seeing out the F1 2024 season at VCARB as he auditions for a place in Red Bull’s plans, while another driver who is claimed to be on their radar is Franco Colapinto, who has shone at Williams since replacing Logan Sargeant. Six-time F1 race winner Ralf Schumacher thinks Colapinto joining Red Bull is a “fixed” deal, though which of their teams he joins is undecided.

And at the Brazilian GP – which Verstappen won in almighty fashion from P17 on the grid – Red Bull’s three-time World Champion was asked for his take on the possibility of Colapinto being his F1 2025 team-mate.

“I don’t know. It’s a bit difficult for me to answer. I’m busy with other things to improve,” he replied.

“He’s doing a great job at the moment in Formula 1, so that’s great to see. I understand, of course, that it’s very attractive for a lot of teams to have him, so it’s up to the team also to see what they want to do.”

However, Verstappen does believe that Colapinto – who has scored five points in his six race weekends so far as an F1 driver – deserves a place on the grid.

There is no room at Williams for the Argentine in F1 2025, with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon signed to multi-year deals.

“It’s complicated. 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,” said Verstappen, as per RN365. “But it’s not easy to find a spot at the moment.”

How the F1 2025 and F1 2026 grids are looking

? F1 2025 driver line-up: Who is already confirmed for the 2025 grid?

? F1 2026 driver line-up: Lewis Hamilton and 14 other drivers already confirmed for 2026

Trusting young drivers has come back into fashion in F1, with Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman also impressing in his super-sub appearances with Ferrari and Haas, landing a race seat with the latter for F1 2025. Mercedes meanwhile has named their 18-year-old prodigy Kimi Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton’s F1 2025 replacement, while Jack Doohan is set to debut with Alpine and Gabriel Bortoleto joins Sauber/Audi F1.

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

“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.”

Williams team boss James Vowles hinted that Red Bull are not the only team interested in Colapinto as they continue negotiations to find him a place on the F1 grid.

“The best I can say is this: we are exploring possibilities with a number of teams that are interested at the moment,” said Vowles. “And beyond there, it would be wrong to do anything more than speculate here.

“There’s nothing to really communicate beyond that point. When there is, I’ll happily talk about it because he’s an exceptional driver. And I really mean that.

“Go look outside. There was tens of thousands of individuals here to support a driver that’s been in our championship for five races. He’s doing an outstanding job on track.

“And as I’ve said from the very beginning, earn your position and elements will come your way. But beyond there, I think especially when we look at the fact he’s a 21-year-old and my responsibility is also towards him and making sure we do the right thing, I want to make sure that when we have news, come to the world, but there really isn’t much to talk about right now.”

Read next: Alpine post Jack Doohan update amid Franco Colapinto switch rumours