[Team] Williams: Do they have a spare tub?

[S griffin]

Williams hasn’t done much lately, so Albon’s 9th place will be welcome. Big surprise to see Colapinto getting 12th place. Not bad for his first time

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Williams hasn’t done much lately, so Albon’s 9th place will be welcome. Big surprise to see Colapinto getting 12th place. Not bad for his first time

Colapinto has been one of the more consistent front runners in the total lottery that F2 has become. Plus he did a better than expected job in his Silverstone F1 test (sorry, practice!).

So overall he did a very very good job at Monza and this bodes well for the rest of the season for him and the team.

[S griffin]

He's not a bad driver, even if there are better out there. How well he goes from here depends on how wow Williams go for the rest of the season

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by S griffin

He's not a bad driver, even if there are better out there. How well he goes from here depends on how wow Williams go for the rest of the season

It will be interesting to see how he continues to measure against Albon for the remainder of the season. I am assuming that Williams is impressed. There are reports that Williams is looking for him to have a drive in 2025 with the only option really being Sauber...

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/w...alks/10655043/

If Colapinto does get a drive at Sauber, it will be interesting to see how he does against Hulkenberg. I tend to think Sauber will continue to do poorly and both will be hampered by the car/team.

2025 will also be an interesting year for Albon vs. Sainz. How will Albon stack up against a top driver like Sainz in the same car. Albon seems to be well respected, but he has also spent quite awhile now racing against very junior drivers so it's hard to judge IMHO.

Richard

[GTRMagic]

[PhilipR]

Colapinto is raising an interesting question. He was never seen as an out and out talent in junior formulae and was probably never seen as a potentil F1 good/great driver, but now everybody singing his praises and are re-evaluating Albon's credentials. The question is how many "average looking" junior formulae drivers are there who might so happen to be good/great in f1 but never get a chance becuase they re not setting world on fire in f2, f3 etc?

Ok a few good races for Colapinto mght not mean next year he would do the same (see DeVries) but we also had drivers with great F2, F3 results that never delivered in F1 even after being heavily promoted and hyped up

I know sport is not a democracy and not anybody will make it but it is intriguing to think there could be struggling drivers in F2 and F3 that might just so happen to be good to very good in f1

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by PhilipR

Colapinto is raising an interesting question. He was never seen as an out and out talent in junior formulae and was probably never seen as a potentil F1 good/great driver, but now everybody singing his praises and are re-evaluating Albon's credentials. The question is how many "average looking" junior formulae drivers are there who might so happen to be good/great in f1 but never get a chance becuase they re not setting world on fire in f2, f3 etc?

Ok a few good races for Colapinto mght not mean next year he would do the same (see DeVries) but we also had drivers with great F2, F3 results that never delivered in F1 even after being heavily promoted and hyped up

I know sport is not a democracy and not anybody will make it but it is intriguing to think there could be struggling drivers in F2 and F3 that might just so happen to be good to very good in f1

Mark Webber never won a championship till after F1, in Porsche WEC machinery. AussieGrit by Instagram name and absolute nature. Yet he got to F1, won races and left a lasting impression on just about everyone he had dealings with, in a positive way.

It’s hard to know if Mr Colapinto is the real deal in such a short space of time. But he seems to have a handle on setup (Mr Albon apparently replicated his settings for the race proper in Austin) and races like it’s his last race.. without building very expensive canoes for the most part.

I don’t know if Alpine’s ‘25 rookie will be everything they hope for either.
A famous name can propel a prospect to great heights. Yet at some point, the team looks at the scoreboard, compared to teammates and the field in general.. and then you see Mick Schumacher…

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Don't worry Albon is doing his best with another car in the wall. I don't get what people see him, particularly the F1 journos, always been operated IMO.

Sent from my SM-T736B using Tapatalk

[steve_r]

Originally Posted by PhilipR

Colapinto is raising an interesting question. He was never seen as an out and out talent in junior formulae and was probably never seen as a potentil F1 good/great driver, but now everybody singing his praises and are re-evaluating Albon's credentials. The question is how many "average looking" junior formulae drivers are there who might so happen to be good/great in f1 but never get a chance becuase they re not setting world on fire in f2, f3 etc?

Ok a few good races for Colapinto mght not mean next year he would do the same (see DeVries) but we also had drivers with great F2, F3 results that never delivered in F1 even after being heavily promoted and hyped up

I know sport is not a democracy and not anybody will make it but it is intriguing to think there could be struggling drivers in F2 and F3 that might just so happen to be good to very good in f1

Sometimes drivers who looked average in different formulas just seem to take to F1 naturally. Kamui Kobayashi springs to mind as someone who never really looked like F1 material until he actually got into an F1 car.

Albon has been wiping the floor with 2 fairly terrible teammates at Williams. And everyone just assumes that the Williams has been a fairly rubbish car., and therefore he gets praised immensely for finishing say 10th while the rent a drivers were sticking their Williams int he wall. But I agree that Colapinto's immediately impressive performances maybe means that people will look at Albon more critically now. Sainz will be a really good yardstick to judge him by next year (I still cannot quite believe that a better seat was not available to Carlos)

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by steve_r

Sometimes drivers who looked average in different formulas just seem to take to F1 naturally. Kamui Kobayashi springs to mind as someone who never really looked like F1 material until he actually got into an F1 car.

Albon has been wiping the floor with 2 fairly terrible teammates at Williams. And everyone just assumes that the Williams has been a fairly rubbish car., and therefore he gets praised immensely for finishing say 10th while the rent a drivers were sticking their Williams int he wall. But I agree that Colapinto's immediately impressive performances maybe means that people will look at Albon more critically now. Sainz will be a really good yardstick to judge him by next year (I still cannot quite believe that a better seat was not available to Carlos)

I agree with all of this. The only thing I might add is that it seems fashionable to downplay Albon at the moment. I am trying to remain objective and to give it a bit more time. He might be going through a bit of bad luck... or Colapinto might be living rent free in his head. I do tend to wonder if Albon's weakness is falling apart when having a capable teammate. I think next year with Sainz will be VERY telling one way or another!

I hope Colapinto stays in F1.

Richard

[PhilipR]

Originally Posted by steve_r

Sometimes drivers who looked average in different formulas just seem to take to F1 naturally. Kamui Kobayashi springs to mind as someone who never really looked like F1 material until he actually got into an F1 car.

Albon has been wiping the floor with 2 fairly terrible teammates at Williams. And everyone just assumes that the Williams has been a fairly rubbish car., and therefore he gets praised immensely for finishing say 10th while the rent a drivers were sticking their Williams int he wall. But I agree that Colapinto's immediately impressive performances maybe means that people will look at Albon more critically now. Sainz will be a really good yardstick to judge him by next year (I still cannot quite believe that a better seat was not available to Carlos)

With the current trend of drivers having longer careers (starting at an earlier age in f1 and retiring at an older age than a few years ago) and lack of testing means less chances of junior drivers to make a mark or deliver their calling cards unless they are setting the world on fire in f3 and f2. Not enough space and opportunities. Heck we have f2 champions like Pourchaire and Drugovich who look like no chance to make it in f1, even Piastri had to sit 1 year out.

[steve_r]

Originally Posted by PhilipR

With the current trend of drivers having longer careers (starting at an earlier age in f1 and retiring at an older age than a few years ago) and lack of testing means less chances of junior drivers to make a mark or deliver their calling cards unless they are setting the world on fire in f3 and f2. Not enough space and opportunities. Heck we have f2 champions like Pourchaire and Drugovich who look like no chance to make it in f1, even Piastri had to sit 1 year out.

Agree 100%. And meanwhile certain fairly average drivers hang around for years. Mentioning no names.

[GTRMagic]

Those clickbait websites are at it again.. suggesting that RedBull has offered ‘20 million’ in some currency or another, for the release of Mr Colapinto to the family.

Firstly, can RedBull afford this now that Mr Perez has cost them the WCC and all the sudsy money that comes with that.
And secondly, given the size of the rumoured payment, you might think dropping Mr Colapinto into RBR could be sensible..

No mention of timing. Or any direct quotes of course.
But it’s a nice thought

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Those clickbait websites are at it again.. suggesting that RedBull has offered ‘20 million’ in some currency or another, for the release of Mr Colapinto to the family.

Firstly, can RedBull afford this now that Mr Perez has cost them the WCC and all the sudsy money that comes with that.
And secondly, given the size of the rumoured payment, you might think dropping Mr Colapinto into RBR could be sensible..

No mention of timing. Or any direct quotes of course.
But it’s a nice thought

$20 million seems excessive when Perez is supposed to be on about 10 mill plus bonuses and Lawson is said to be on less than 3 million (across a year).
Yes it is probably clickbait but when asked about Colapinto Horner is quoted as saying 'I wouldn't be doing my job if I hadn't made inquiries regarding his availability' or something to that effect.

So are they interested if they needed a replacement for the 4th seat if Perez is gone?
Yes.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Those clickbait websites are at it again.. suggesting that RedBull has offered ‘20 million’ in some currency or another, for the release of Mr Colapinto to the family.

I had no idea he had been kidnapped!

Richard

[Mike Harte]

Joe Saward also writes in his blog that he has heard the "rumour" that Red Bull were prepared to offer Williams $20 million to release Colapinto from his contract. He thinks that, if true, Colapinto would be partnered with Verstappen, with Lawson paired with Tsunoda at VCarb.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Joe Saward also writes in his blog that he has heard the "rumour" that Red Bull were prepared to offer Williams $20 million to release Colapinto from his contract. He thinks that, if true, Colapinto would be partnered with Verstappen, with Lawson paired with Tsunoda at VCarb.

I read Joe's blog this morning. As he says, it's a rumor. But if true, it's interesting that RB would potentially spend so much to get Colapinto vs. Sainz? There was this article which included speculation from Martin Brundle as to why Sainz didn't replace Perez.

https://www.planetf1.com/news/martin...n-carlos-sainz

It also seems a bit crazy to me that RB would fall so deeply in love with Colapinto from afar (no direct experience with him) so as to drop him directly into the second RBR seat vs. moving up Lawson or maybe even Yuki. I think it would make more sense to put him in at VCARB and see if Lawson or Yuki are the answer first.

But the South American driver angle that Joe mentions is interesting. That might be very good for F1 in general, but is it going to bring much money to Red Bull? Maybe Colapinto has the making of a Perez style "merchandise selling machine". Is Argentina healthy enough to provide Telmex type money that Perez has? Probably not.

Richard

[steve_r]

What a strange rumour. Have RBR such little faith in the multitude of young drivers they have contracted elsewhere, including in their RB F1 team?

What Beaman and Colapinto have shown is that there are plenty of good drivers out there who would do a good job in F1 if they were given the chance.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Richard C

I read Joe's blog this morning. As he says, it's a rumor. But if true, it's interesting that RB would potentially spend so much to get Colapinto vs. Sainz? There was this article which included speculation from Martin Brundle as to why Sainz didn't replace Perez.

https://www.planetf1.com/news/martin...n-carlos-sainz

It also seems a bit crazy to me that RB would fall so deeply in love with Colapinto from afar (no direct experience with him) so as to drop him directly into the second RBR seat vs. moving up Lawson or maybe even Yuki. I think it would make more sense to put him in at VCARB and see if Lawson or Yuki are the answer first.

But the South American driver angle that Joe mentions is interesting. That might be very good for F1 in general, but is it going to bring much money to Red Bull? Maybe Colapinto has the making of a Perez style "merchandise selling machine". Is Argentina healthy enough to provide Telmex type money that Perez has? Probably not.

Richard

In what feels like a different lifetime ago, South American drivers were often capable of bring along substantial financial backing from businesses in their home countries, as additional incentive within assessing their suitability.

Mr Perez has a chunk of Mexican branding from a variety of organisations on the lead RBR team, and it was reported even before Mr Colapinto stepped into a Williams in a practice session in his own car, that Mr Vowles suggested inquires from Argentinian companies had delivered around $4.5m (presumably US) for car signage due to Mr Colapinto’s participation in the team.

Perhaps the Argentine budget replaces the Mexican one, while the team also gets what is likely to be a demonstrable uptick in performance on track..

Stranger things have happened..

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by Richard C

I read Joe's blog this morning. As he says, it's a rumor. But if true, it's interesting that RB would potentially spend so much to get Colapinto vs. Sainz? There was this article which included speculation from Martin Brundle as to why Sainz didn't replace Perez.

https://www.planetf1.com/news/martin...n-carlos-sainz

It also seems a bit crazy to me that RB would fall so deeply in love with Colapinto from afar (no direct experience with him) so as to drop him directly into the second RBR seat vs. moving up Lawson or maybe even Yuki. I think it would make more sense to put him in at VCARB and see if Lawson or Yuki are the answer first.

But the South American driver angle that Joe mentions is interesting. That might be very good for F1 in general, but is it going to bring much money to Red Bull? Maybe Colapinto has the making of a Perez style "merchandise selling machine". Is Argentina healthy enough to provide Telmex type money that Perez has? Probably not.

Richard

I agree with your comments over Colapinto but the Telmex money is going at the end of the year. Conflict of interest.
RBR have a new deal with AT&T

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

I agree with your comments over Colapinto but the Telmex money is going at the end of the year. Conflict of interest.
RBR have a new deal with AT&T

I didn't know that. I did look online after you post and saw that Telmex plans to stay with Perez, but also is open to supporting Colapinto as they don't focus on Mexican drivers, but Latin American drivers.

If Colapinto moves to RB, I guess he could still get help from Telmex, but Telmex would not be sponsoring RB directly due to the AT&T deal you mention above.

Known now about the exit (or reduction) of Telmex sponsorship, to me, this supports a move to remove Perez from the team as the financial hit is smaller, or might be negated.

Richard

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by Richard C

I didn't know that. I did look online after you post and saw that Telmex plans to stay with Perez, but also is open to supporting Colapinto as they don't focus on Mexican drivers, but Latin American drivers.

If Colapinto moves to RB, I guess he could still get help from Telmex, but Telmex would not be sponsoring RB directly due to the AT&T deal you mention above.

Known now about the exit (or reduction) of Telmex sponsorship, to me, this supports a move to remove Perez from the team as the financial hit is smaller, or might be negated.

Richard

Autosport article here Richard.
Closer connections. AT&T on cars and overalls etc. So even if Perez is at RBR Telmex is compromised.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/re...-att/10663262/

[GTRMagic]

Eerrr… will both Williams be repaired in time for the Brazilian Grand Prix in under 3 hours time… or will they fix the ‘easiest’ fix and give it to the highest qualifying driver?

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Eerrr… will both Williams be repaired in time for the Brazilian Grand Prix in under 3 hours time… or will they fix the ‘easiest’ fix and give it to the highest qualifying driver?

If they give Francos car to Albon would it mean grid penalties? Might not be worth it.

[EastonNeston]

Alex looked to be very shaken up, and have a hand/wrist injury, so the decision hat he wont race is very wise.
It will allow the team to give Franco the best prepared car possible in the limited time available.