Red Bull F1 'target' Franco Colapinto delivers Max Verstappen team-mate UPDATE

Verstappen, Colapinto, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Red Bull 'target' delivers Verstappen team-mate UPDATE

Red Bull have been linked with the signing of Franco Colapinto

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 15 November 2024 18:56

Rumoured Red Bull driver signing target Franco Colapinto has provided an update on how he would approach being Max Verstappen's F1 team-mate.

The second seat alongside three-time world champion Verstappen at Red Bull is seemingly up for grabs, despite Mexican driver Sergio Perez recently signing a new contract with the team.

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Perez's form in 2024 has been dismal, having not stood on the podium since the Chinese GP back in April, and only taking 12 points from his last six outings.

In that time, Red Bull have slipped from first to third in the constructors' championship, with the reigning champions now facing an uphill task to retain their title.

Despite the team's overall struggles, Verstappen stands on the verge of securing a fourth consecutive drivers' championship title, sat 62 points ahead of nearest challenger Lando Norris with just three races remaining in the season.

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Colapinto linked with Perez seat

Being the Dutchman's team-mate has often been touted as one of the hardest jobs in Formula 1, with Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly finding out the hard way how much pressure is put on the second seat at Red Bull.

Many contenders have been linked with Perez's seat in recent weeks despite the 34-year-old's contract being until the end of the 2025 season, including VCARB drivers Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda.

Red Bull have also been linked with a £15 million swoop for Williams star Franco Colapinto, who has been mightily impressive since replacing Logan Sargeant earlier in 2024.

Franco Colapinto has been linked with a move to Red Bull

It is unclear whether the rumoured signing of the 21-year-old would be to replace Perez directly, or to replace either Tsunoda or Lawson at VCARB should they get promoted into Perez's seat.

Now, the Argentine sensation has been speaking about his approach to beating drivers who are much more experienced than him in the sport, offering insight as to how he would act as Verstappen's team-mate if handed the opportunity.

"That little bit of fanaticism you had when you were younger goes away. You want to beat them all," Colapinto told Cerveza Quilmes' YouTube channel.

"So that competitiveness means that I don’t care who is next to me. Whether is Verstappen or Zhou, it’s the same.

"I want to win and I want to be ahead of them… If they’re still your idols, it’s very hard to beat them."

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Lando Norris