Who is his biggest rival for the last available seat and what will Williams do if he runs out of a place in the Great Circus

Despite the tremendous emergence of Franco Colapinto in the Formula 1nothing guarantees his participation in the next season. Without going any further, today its presence in 2025 in the top category seems complicated, because there is only one vacant seat among all the teams. Sauberwhich in 2026 will become Audi’s, is the only team that has a car without an owner and is what the Argentine aspires to, but it has a clear hierarchy rival: Valtteri Bottas.

The Finn, who also debuted in F1 with Williams Racing like Colapinto, has not yet signed his signature to be the second confirmed Sauber driver. However, although the negotiations are very advanced, the delay generates uncertainty and increases the hopes of the Argentine corridor. The one who does have his place guaranteed in the Swiss team is the German Nico Hulkenberg.

On the side of Williams The seats already have owners. Franco’s current partner, the Thai Alex Albonwill continue with the British team during the following year. Along with him will be added Carlos Sainzthe Spanish Ferrari driver. In this way, the only possibility for the person born in Buenos Aires to compete in the Máxima will be to dream of the miracle in Sauber where he competes for a place with Bottas.

While doubts grow about the last seat to know the total confirmation of the drivers who will be in Formula 1 during 2025, Colapinto does his job every time he gets into the car. His first three appearances surprised everyone and filled the entire automotive world with excitement about his great future in the division.

It is worth remembering that the Argentine finished 12th at Monza (Italian Grand Prix), 8° en Baku (Azerbaijan Grand Prix) and 11th at Marina Bay (Singapore Grand Prix). In his second experience, the native of Pilar added four points and had an incredible performance that allowed him to be above enormous drivers like Lewis Hamilton, who the Briton confessed was one of his great idols.

Meanwhile, James VowlesWilliams’ team manager, is trying to reach an agreement for Colapinto to go on loan for two years to Sauber with a play-off option if he needs it sooner than expected. The Swiss-based team is in no rush to confirm who will take the wheel in 2025 but Valtteri Bottas, who has the advantage, began to put pressure on.

However, there is also another chance: what will Williams do if Colapinto does not have a seat in Formula 1 in 2025?

And Vowles has a plan: “What we would do if he stays, is use a car from two years ago, which actually has more or less the same specifications as the one we use now, so that he would drive it thousands and thousands of kilometers to stay in good shape.”

“In addition, he would work with us on the development of future cars by being in our simulator and doing that test work for us at the same time,” continued the Williams 1.

In the event that Colapinto does not finally get the Sauber seat, the idea they have at Williams is to get a category that allows him to continue competing and that at the same time he can be the substitute driver in case the team needs to replace Albon or Alonso in some race.

“On the other hand, there is a category that we are studying with him so that he can continue participating in races at the same time. He would be our reserve Formula 1 driver, so he would be ready if something happened,” explained Vowles.

The Finnish driver not only has not scored points so far this year but his best mark was 13th, unlike Colapinto who in his three races surpassed that position. In an interview with the official Formula 1 site, the 35-year-old racer stated: “For me, it is very clear where I want to be and where I will probably be, which is in Formula 1”.

Then, the one born in Nastola who seeks to have his twelfth consecutive season in the top division, in line with the above stated: “I know I should be in Formula 1 and, based on positive feedback and intentions for the future, I feel like I’m in a solid position. But it’s still too early to say much more than that.”

To complete the idea, Bottas was forceful and said: “I think that in the situation we are in now, the team needs experience, and that is what I… If I were a boss, I would take the experience, because to get out of the situation, you need someone who has been on a team that has won. “That’s why I think I’m in a good position.”