While the rumor of the possible transfer of Franco Colapinto a Red Bull for the next season of Formula 1, Ralf Schumacher was responsible for fueling the controversy a little more. The former German pilot destroyed Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez for his performance in recent times. He was even encouraged to announce that the Mexican will not end the year running on behalf of the energy drink team.
Although it is not the first time that the brother of the historic seven-time Formula 1 champion driver strongly criticizes Checo, this time he was lapidary. The Red Bull man was far from his best version in the Mexican Grand Prix and finished in 17th position, after starting eighteenth. This last performance was what made the man born in Hermülheim, in western Germany, explode.
The former driver took advantage of the wave of criticism that falls on Checo and risked a lapidary prediction about the Mexican’s future at Red Bull: “I don’t think I’ll drive a single meter in the car next year, I’m pretty sure of that. I don’t even think I’ll finish the season”.
This is the Interlagos circuit where Colapinto will race this weekend
Ralf Schumacher, now a commentator, stated that the current situation does not suit either the Austrian team or the driver himself. This is mainly due to the most recent performances, in which the Guadalajara native did not meet the team’s expected expectation. The terrible result last weekend, at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was another seasoning to justify his possible departure.
However, David’s father and Mick Schumacher’s uncle did not stop there and continued slipping phrases that generated enormous controversy in the automotive world. He referred to current events in Checo and expressed: “The poor guy is under a lot of pressure, while this sport is supposed to be fun. Above all, financially, it has become a disaster for the team”.
Ralf Schumacher, Michael’s brother, strongly criticized the Mexican driver. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)Although Checo Pérez’s performance is far from what he showed in 2023 when he was runner-up in Formula 1, the Austrian team supports him. The head of the Red Bull team, Christian Hornerstated that the pilot has a contract until 2025, so he slightly delayed the possibility of an early departure. “He remains an integral part of the team”he said.
It should be noted that the German He was one of the most critical of Colapinto when Williams Racing decided to give him the opportunity to finish the season in F1. At the time, he stated: “From a performance point of view, I think it is absurd and makes no sense”, accompanied by the attempt to include his nephew and Michael’s son “they would have brought someone with experience like Mick.”
Christian Horner and the hope of having Colapinto at Red Bull
At the same time that it is debated whether the Mexican will continue in the energy drink team next year, Red Bull set their eyes on the Argentine driver. The thing is that Colapinto, despite his almost no experience in the Máxima and his young age, demonstrated a very promising performance. For this reason, the barely 21-year-old rider generated great attraction from the Austria-based team.
The leader of the Red Bull project in Formula 1 referred to the current situation of the young Williams Racing native from Pilar. Regarding the opportunity to have him under his wing, he stated: “Franco Colapinto is an interesting driver. It’s surprisingly much better than everyone thought in Formula 2. “I would be a bad team leader if I didn’t check to see if he is available.”.
Christian Horner, Red Bull Team Manager. (Photo by Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP)Although he was smart to declare and not show any type of desperation for the Argentine, the boss of the Austrian team confessed: “Franco is a very talented driver. He is doing a very good job”. Then, when asked if he was qualified to handle an RB, with a bit of waist, Horner responded: “He is a good driver. He obviously deserves to be in F1”.