Red Bull wants Franco Colapinto, but they are not alone: two more teams join “bidding war”. Franco Colapinto has caught the interest of Red Bull but also other teams.

Franco Colapinto has caught the interest of Red Bull, along with two other teams, making the next moves in the driver market and his Williams contract clauses worth watching closely.

Who would have thought Franco Colapinto could score five points in just five races? When he was called to replace Logan Sargeant at Williams, probably not even James Vowles anticipated that the young Argentine would showcase his talent to such an extent.

Since Franco Colapinto’s arrival in Formula 1, sponsors have gone wild. Williams has received $10 million in advertising revenue, and other teams are noticing this momentum.

Red Bull is interested in the 21-year-old, and Christian Horner doesn’t hide it: “Franco Colapinto is an interesting driver. For everyone, he’s surprisingly better than what we’ve seen in Formula 2. I’d be a poor team principal if I didn’t see if he was available,” reported AMUS.

Flavio Briatore is also eyeing the Williams driver, potentially bringing him in for 2026, as next year’s lineup will feature Pierre Gasly and rookie Jack Doohan. Additionally, there’s Sauber/Audi, which still has a seat to fill.

However, Franco Colapinto is still under contract with Williams, which complicates the situation, according to AMUS. Junior driver contracts often include a clause allowing the young driver to change teams if they’re not offered additional simulator tests over the next two years.

If Franco Colapinto doesn’t secure an F1 seat, he could stay with Williams as a reserve driver. Otherwise, the team might consider a “loan” deal. AMUS, however, notes that interested teams disagree on this approach. Helmut Marko, for instance, would like to bring in the Argentine to replace Sergio Pérez next year, making him a full-time driver at Red Bull.

There’s another issue: Williams might need Franco Colapinto in 2026. It appears that Carlos Sainz has an exit clause if a seat opens at Red Bull in two years. Selling their young driver to Red Bull, Alpine, or Sauber thus carries a certain risk for Williams; in the worst-case scenario, they could be left without any options.

Those interested in securing Colapinto will only succeed if they can offer him a full-time driver position, which Alpine currently cannot. It remains to be seen what Red Bull’s plan and driver program for 2025 will look like.