Former Formula 1 driver turned pundit Karun Chandhok believes it’s “too early” in Franco Colapinto’s career to move to Red Bull, suggesting it would be a “mistake”.
Colapinto has been linked with a shock move to Red Bull amid boss Christian Horner’s meeting with Williams chief James Vowles to discuss the 21-year-old’s future.
The Argentine racing driver replaced Logan Sargeant midway through the 2024 F1 season, making his debut at the Italian Grand Prix.
He scored his first points in F1 at Baku with an eighth-place finish, however, last time out at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix Colapinto crashed out in qualifying and the race.
The seat left vacant by Sargeant’s exit has already been filled by the outgoing Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz for the 2025 season.
But the unexpected performance of the Williams Junior has caused a dilemma for Vowles as multiple teams are suddenly interested in his services for next year.
Speaking on the Sky F1 podcast, Chandhok said: “He’s clearly very quick, clearly very talented.
“I think we’ll all admit, including Williams, that it’s been a bit of a surprise, because his junior formula record didn’t suggest he’s going to be as good as he has been, and maybe he is well suited to an F1 car or the style of driving, but I think it’d be a mistake to put him in a Red Bull.
“I think it’s too early, I think if they were talking about putting him in an RB, I think that’ll be a good, sensible choice and a career progression for him.
“If they put him in a Red Bull alongside Max, it could destroy him, I think it’d be too soon.”
Colapinto ‘not the complete package’
RB replaced Daniel Ricciardo with Liam Lawson in Austin to give the New Zealand driver a chance to impress before the end of the season, to determine whether he ends up at the junior team or with Red Bull.
However, Colapinto’s impressive start to his F1 career has given them another option for the 2025 season with Alpine now showing interest in the Williams driver him as well.
But Chandhok reckons the safe bet for Red Bull will be to keep things the way they are and that Colapinto would be better suited to joining RB.
“The best choice or the best option is if Checo [Perez] improves and stays there, that they don’t have to do anything, and they can stay status quo,” he said.
“But if that improvement is not coming, maybe they’re going to put Liam Lawson in and they put Franco in there [at VCARB].
“Because honestly, if you look at the run he’s had, it’s like a guy who has done the perfect job interview, right?
“He’s come there, made an impact, bang, quick straight away. Results [in] Singapore, Baku, amazing.
“But then as you’ve got into it and the races are unfolding, in Mexico, he was some way off Alex in qualifying, and Brazil, he was some way off Alex in qualifying, two big shunts – it’s still not the complete package in terms of his experience, I think.
“I would think even for himself and his own management, I’d probably say, ‘let’s think of the long term here’.
“And if there’s an option of RB instead of going to Red Bull, I think that would be better for him, and it’s probably a better choice for Red Bull to be making as well.”
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