Red Bull reportedly brought out the heavy hitters in their bid to sign Franco Colapinto with CEO Oliver Mintzlaff speaking with Williams about their rookie at the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend.

With just two races remaining this season, Red Bull are still weighing up their driver line-ups for 2025 – both at Red Bull and VCARB.

Maybe Red Bull’s interest in Franco Colapinto hasn’t waned…

Each team has one driver officially confirmed in Max Verstappen for Red Bull and Yuki Tsunoda for VCARB. However, their team-mates have yet to be decided with four drivers vying for two seats.

One of those drivers is Williams’ rookie Colapinto.

The Argentinean arrived on the Formula 1 scene at the Italian Grand Prix when he joined Williams as a replacement for the beleaguered Logan Sargeant and immediately made his mark.

But while he scored points in two of his first four races, he’s crashed in his most recent two including a huge 50G hit in qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

That, it was suggested, had cooled Red Bull’s interest as his inexperience came to the fore but according to Dutch pundit Allard Kalff, Red Bull are still very interested in the driver.

“What is interesting,” Kalff told Viaplay, “the CEO of Red Bull, Mintzlaff, was in Las Vegas. Who also had a meeting with Williams. All sorts of things are going on behind the scenes.”

This isn’t the first time Red Bull have been over to Williams to make an approach for Colapinto, Christian Horner speaking with James Vowles at the Mexican Grand Prix.

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Sergio Perez told to ‘keep your honour’ and ‘stop’

Red Bull will make a decision on their line-ups after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with motorsport advisor Helmut Marko revealing the shareholders will have the final say.

And Sergio Perez will be the catalyst.

If Red Bull continue with him then Liam Lawson is expected to remain at VCARB. However, if Perez’s dismal run continues in the final two races, he could be dropped with Lawson taking the Red Bull seat and Colapinto partnership Tsunoda at VCARB. Colapinto, though, has also been mentioned as Perez’s replacement. Red Bull’s other option is to promote Lawson and put junior driver Isack Hadjar in the VCARB.

Former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde says Perez should make the decision somewhat easier for Red Bull by offering his resignation.

“Keep your honour, stop!” Van der Garde told the DRS: The Race Show. “I don’t understand why he wants to continue, when you get eight-tenths on you every weekend – every free practice, every qualifying and every race.

“He also walks with his shoulders down every time, the guy just doesn’t feel like it anymore.

“I would say ‘Guys, thank you’. He helped the team to the Constructors’ Championship, he came second himself once and he meant a lot in the first title for Max. So he has helped Verstappen just fine, but go and drive in endurance.”

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