Guenther Steiner has spent his first season away from Formula 1 after leaving Haas. Though he currently holds no prominent or leadership roles in the paddock, he remains influential when it comes to opinions about happenings in the premier FIA open-wheel championship.
In recent months, aside from the battle for the 2024 World Championships, two topics have captured significant public interest: Franco Colapinto’s debut at Williams, replacing the ousted Logan Sargeant, and the status (and future) of Sergio Perez’s seat at Red Bull.
The Argentine’s debut with the Grove-based team made waves for how effortlessly Franco Colapinto extracted performance from the Williams, even overshadowing his far more experienced teammate, Alexander Albon.
However, Franco Colapinto has alternated strong performances with costly mistakes that have led to several car-destroying crashes. This poses a problem for Williams, which must manage these incidents while staying within the Budget Cap.
“There’s been a lot of hype about Colapinto,” Steiner told Motorsport.com. “For me, Franco Colapinto did a great job in the first two or three races. He’s a good driver, on par with Alex Albon. He’s a good driver. And then, logically, the pressure came, as we say.”
“And I don’t know if it got to his head or if he’s overestimating himself. Because in the last two or three races, once again, he hasn’t been so fantastic. He’s made a lot of mistakes, and that’s the last thing Williams needs. That’s why they ‘hype you up’ when you perform well. You have to manage it, both individually and as a team. He’s already been ‘sold’ to another team for I don’t know how many millions, etc. With a young driver who’s never been in Formula 1 before, he might not yet be able to handle the situation properly.”
On the other hand, Sergio Perez has vast experience but equally significant struggles. For two years, the Mexican driver has been underperforming. Last year, he secured the runner-up spot in the championship—albeit far behind Max Verstappen—but this year, his results, given the car at his disposal, have been borderline shocking.
When asked, “Who would you replace Sergio Perez with at Red Bull?” Steiner named a younger driver, but one with more experience than Franco Colapinto, someone familiar with the Milton Keynes environment and seemingly less hot-headed than the fiery South American.
“In Perez’s place at Red Bull, I wouldn’t take Colapinto; I’d take Liam Lawson. Because I think he did a good job when he stepped in, and he’s continuing to do so. Red Bull isn’t in a rush—they still have two races to go, and then they can decide who’s the best fit. If Colapinto can return to the performance level he showed in his first F1 races, he’ll definitely be a contender.”
“But there’s also Liam Lawson within the team. He’s someone you’ve developed yourselves. He knows the Red Bull environment and has been part of it for quite some time. For me, he would be the most logical solution. Logically, he needs to deliver strong results compared to Yuki Tsunoda, and then I’d take him. Or I’d take Yuki Tsunoda. Yuki has always done a good job. He’s been a Red Bull driver for years.”
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