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PlanetF1.com has captured the moment Franco Colapinto and his manager met with Alpine adviser Flavio Briatore in the Qatar Grand Prix paddock amid rumours over the Williams driver’s F1 2025 plans.

It comes after James Vowles, the Williams team principal, hinted that Colapinto‘s future is now unlikely to be resolved before the end of the F1 2024 season.

Franco Colapinto meets Alpine’s Flavio Briatore in Qatar GP paddock

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Colapinto has impressed since replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams in August, scoring points in two of his first four appearances in Azerbaijan and the United States.

With Williams already committed to fielding Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon next season, however, Vowles has vowed to help Colapinto find a permanent seat with a rival outfit for F1 2025.

The Argentine’s instant impact at Williams has put him on the radar of some of the biggest teams in F1, with reigning World Champions Red Bull and Alpine linked most heavily with a move for Colapinto over recent weeks.

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Despite signing a new contract in June, Sergio Perez is increasingly likely to be dropped by Red Bull at the end of the F1 2024 season with the Mexican still without a podium since the Chinese Grand Prix in April.

Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko recently confirmed that a final decision on the future of Perez, who trails team-mate Max Verstappen by more than 250 points with two races remaining, will be taken after next weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

PlanetF1.com revealed earlier this month that Red Bull team principal Christian Horner met with James Vowles to discuss a deal for Colapinto at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

However, it is understood that a series of on-track mistakes by the rookie across the Brazil and Las Vegas GP weekends has seen Red Bull cool their interest in Colapinto, with sources indicating that Alpine is emerging as the most likely destination for the 21-year-old.

And PlanetF1.com’s on-the-ground reporter Thomas Maher spotted the moment Colapinto and his manager, Maria Catarineu of Bullet Sports Management, met briefly with Briatore in the paddock in Qatar.

It is thought that this was merely a chance encounter in the Lusail paddock, with Williams boss Vowles claiming on Friday that interested teams are yet to advance their interest in Colapinto.

Alpine’s driver lineup for the F1 2025 season is officially already in place after Jack Doohan, 21, was announced as Pierre Gasly’s new team-mate at the Dutch Grand Prix in August.

However, the sudden emergence of Colapinto, who was promoted by Williams four days later, has raised the possibility that Doohan could be ruthlessly dropped before the start of his debut season.

Reports elsewhere have suggested that Briatore, who returned to Alpine in an advisory role earlier this season, is determined to land Colapinto for next year with Alpine said to be more open to the possibility of a loan deal than Red Bull.

Vowles claimed in Brazil that Colapinto’s future was likely to be decided before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next weekend.

However, speaking to media including PlanetF1.com on Friday in Qatar, Vowles hinted that the timeline could stretch beyond the season finale with interested teams still to decide their plans for F1 2025.

He said: “There is interest, but more than that I can’t really say at this point in time.

“I think those teams need to figure out what seats they have and don’t have going into next year before we can ascertain where he’s going, if he’s going there.”

Vowles later told Sky F1: “I think, as far as I can tell, and this is more reading the media than anything else, they want to wait a little bit and see what happens towards the end of the season.”

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