Red Bull’s $20m Refusal Boosts Alpine Hopes for Colapinto?
Nov.11 - Bernie Ecclestone admits it's "possible" Jack Doohan's confirmed arrival on the Formula 1 grid for 2025 could be called off.
Since replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams mid-season, rookie Franco Colapinto has stunned the paddock with his driving, personality, and commercial appeal to Argentinean backers.
However, while firmly under long-term contract to Williams' driver program, he is without a race seat for 2025 pending the arrival of Carlos Sainz.
Red Bull has expressed interest in the 21-year-old, but Williams boss James Vowles is reportedly demanding a $20 million release fee - something the energy drink-owned concern has turned down.
But Colapinto's management, including Maria Catarineu, says there are other options.
"Everyone knows that there are many teams that want to see Franco in Formula 1 next year," she told the Argentinean source Campeones.
When asked how likely a race seat in 2025 is, Catarineu claimed: "On a scale of one to ten? Twenty.
"So many people want this, so it is only fair that it happens. It is clear that many scenarios are being worked on."
One of those scenarios is involving Flavio Briatore, the new executive advisor at Alpine, and his long-time friend and business partner, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
Ecclestone, 94, admitted to Blick newspaper that Briatore called him a few days ago to reveal that he wants to put Colapinto in an Alpine race seat for 2025.
According to correspondent Roger Benoit, the $20m release fee would be "no problem" for Briatore.
That is despite the fact that Pierre Gasly and rookie Jack Doohan are already signed up. Auto Bild, however, claims that Australian Doohan's 2025 deal is actually only guaranteed for the first five races of next season.
And Ecclestone thinks even that deal could be broken.
"In Formula 1, anything is possible. Until the money is in the bank," he smiled.
Meanwhile, Ecclestone reveals that he is part of the reason why Sebastian Vettel shelved his earlier plans to try to launch a return to Formula 1.
"I had to talk him out of his comeback dreams," he said. "Why should a four-time world champion put himself through that?"
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Still nothing concrete about Alpine, & if they weren't going to give Doohan a chance anyway, they simply wouldn't have decided for that in August as they could've easily offered someone like Bottas or Magnussen a drive after failing to get Sainz, so people should stop thinking unrealistically that they'd go back on their decision this late anymore, especially without a strongly justifiable reason, i.e., a driver with vast F1 racing experience or a former world champion.
The claim about a five-GP contract is definitely false because if that were true, the team would've mentioned that in some form in Doohan's promotion statement rather than directly referring to 2025, which of course means/meant full season without room for interpretation, regardless of whether the deal is for a single year or multi-year.
People should really stop basing expectations & speculation on third-party claims as only words from the relevant parties matter in the end, & no team ever gives a contract only guaranteeing a set GP amount anyway, but always a full single season at the very least.
After the Sainz rejection, Doohan was given a full-time driver promotion specifically because he's a driver whose career they've invested in via their driver academy, not to mention Briatore is his manager & was involved in the decision-making, given he started in the team during the Montmelo-Silverstone-Spielberg triple-header, so I doubt he would've said what BE claims him to have said.
If they suddenly backed down, the Piastri situation would arise again, & they might even face legal consequences from the Doohans.
Once again, putting words for Seb, who himself has never said he'd want or attempt to return at any point since quitting.
Finally providing financial compensation for his Williams contract termination would indeed be a non-issue for Alpine, although the same is equally true for Red Bull.
Franco's management team and specifically Maria Catarineu are doing well with their propaganda campaign!
"When asked how likely a race seat in 2025 is, Catarineu claimed: "On a scale of one to ten? Twenty.
"So many people want this, so it is only fair that it happens. It is clear that many scenarios are being worked on."
Everybody knows that things never happen in F1 because "it is only fair". To believe otherwise in very naive! To state "many scenarios are being worked on" is a clear indication that nothing has been achieved in securing a 2025 drive in F1 for Franco.
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