Karun Chandhok has advised against a switch to Red Bull for Franco Colapinto amidst rumours.
The 21-year-old driver has made an immediate impact right from the get-go after replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams Racing. So far, he has raced in six Grands Prix, scored points in two of them and looked quicker than experienced teammate Alexander Albon on numerous occasions.
While his most recent race in Sao Paulo came to a premature end in the barriers, his previous performances have drawn the attention of several existing teams, including defending Constructors’ Champions Red Bull. It is believed that Red Bull boss Christian Horner met up with Williams Team Principal James Vowles after practice at Interlagos to discuss the Argentinian’s future in the sport.
Alpine are also interested in acquiring the services of Colapinto, despite having their driver lineup confirmed with Pierre Gasly and rookie Jack Doohan set to occupy the outfit’s two seat for 2025. The same could be said for Red Bull, but Sergio Perez’ position appears far from secure as his dismal run of results for the Milton Keynes-based outfit continues.
Colapinto currently doesn’t have an F1 drive for next year, as Williams have already put pen to paper for Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz to join them alongside Albon for 2025. But the Argentine has already displayed that he is capable of competing with the rest of the grid, so his F1 career is most likely far from over.
However, Sky Sports F1 commentator Karun Chandhok believes that Colapinto shouldn’t join Red Bull if he has any regard for his future.
It’d be too soon
Chandhok stated on the Sky Sports F1 podcast: “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.
“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,” claimed the former F1 driver.
The television pundit offered an alternative career path for Colapinto, that would allow him to gain further confidence before joining one of the faster teams on the grid. He continued: “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,” concluded Chandhok.
Colapinto will continue to drive for Williams until the end of the 2024 campaign. His next race will be the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which starts Sunday 24 November at 06:00 GMT (22:00 local time, Saturday 23 November).
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