Colapinto reluctant to ‘get too excited’ about future in F1 as Hamilton advises he should do ‘absolutely everything’ to get a seat

Franco Colapinto has certainly made his mark after he jumped into the Williams seat with just nine races of the season to go, but he is not certain that he will still be on the grid next year.

After the Grove outfit decided to let Logan Sargeant go ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, the Argentine was promoted from his drive in Formula 2 in a rapid turnaround that saw him make his debut in Monza.

READ MORE: Colapinto insists his goal is to stay in F1 as he responds to 2025 Sauber links

Since then, he has scored points on two occasions and never finished lower than P12, helping Williams to leapfrog Alpine for eighth place in the constructors’ standings.

Despite his remarkably strong performance at a team that has struggled to secure consistent points finishes in a close midfield battle, it is uncertain whether the young driver will be able to find a seat for the future.

With Williams’ line-up of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz confirmed for 2025, Colapinto’s only clear option is the vacant Sauber seat, although he appears to be just one of a handful of candidates.

Asked whether Williams would support him leaving for another team next season, he said: “Well I think I shouldn’t be the person asked about that. Of course, I don’t know the answer and I guess yes. I think if Williams cannot give me a race seat, I think the normal thing is that they allow me to go somewhere else and they find the best opportunity for me for the future.

“But I’m not the right person to be asking. I should be the last one. I thought that I was not going to be racing in F1 next year and that’s still my first view, so I don’t really get too excited about whatever they are talking around, but let’s see.”

READ MORE: Experienced hands or a rapid rookie – who’s in the frame for the vacant Sauber seat?

There is technically still a free seat at RB too, but with Liam Lawson drafted in as Daniel Ricciardo’s replacement for the remaining races, he seems likely to sign a contract with the team sooner rather than later.

Despite the bleak picture in terms of current seat availability, Colapinto is still set on his ambition of being a permanent figure on the grid, even if he has to take a sabbatical away from the sport.

“I would like to be in Formula 1,” he explained ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. “I came very late in the year and I got an amazing opportunity with Williams. Everyone in the team gave me a lot of trust, confidence to put me in that race seat.

“I tried to do my best and get the best results possible to show that I deserve a seat here. If it’s not next year, I hope that it’s in ‘26 or ‘27. I’m not really having much pressure or anything like that.

READ MORE: 5 mid-season driver swaps that paid off – and 5 that didn’t – as Lawson steps up to replace Ricciardo

“I’m trying to enjoy the moment and the opportunity that I’ve got. It was my dream since I was very little to drive a Formula 1 car and now to be here doing these last nine races is very special, so [I’m] just enjoying it.”

The 21-year-old has partaken in some entertaining on-track battles over his short stint, including one in Baku with Lewis Hamilton, who has been a big believer in encouraging young talents like Colapinto.

The seven-time world champion explained: “The majority of us, if we’re lucky to get in the sport we have a bit of a run-up – if you look at young Kimi [Antonelli] for example, he’s got a lot of test days before his first race. I think he will have over 20 days or something in the car which is unprecedented.

“For this guy here, he didn’t have that. He just jumped straight in and did a fantastic job, and it was really great to see young people and young talented individuals to get the opportunity to come through and shine.

READ MORE: Hamilton expecting ‘emotional experience’ as he prepares to drive Senna’s iconic McLaren MP4/5B ahead of Sao Paulo GP

“I think he did that in the first race. We had a great little battle. It was super safe, it was hard but fair. I think he’s earned his right to be here. There still is a seat available and he’s saying it’s not for him to decide, but my advice would be to make sure that… I’d be pushing on my side to do absolutely everything.

“I think that he’s just got to continue to focus on doing his job every weekend as he is. Hopefully he’s got good people behind him who are doing the right job to make sure that he’s here racing next year.”