Notwithstanding the swirling rumours of Liam Lawson’s impending Red Bull exit, Franco Colapinto, the Alpine reserve driver, has been ruled out as a potential replacement. According to multiple sources, Colapinto is not being considered for the seat, even as speculation about Lawson’s departure from Red Bull intensifies following his disheartening start to the 2025 F1 season.
Lawson has been under the scanner after being knocked out in Q1 for the first two races in Australia and China, sparking rumours of his replacement ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka next month. The third round of this year’s F1 campaign is being eagerly watched for any changes in Red Bull’s line-up.
The fate of the New Zealand-born Lawson is expected to be sealed later this week in a meeting at Red Bull’s Milton Keynes factory. However, according to inside sources, no concrete decision has been reached yet.
Yuki Tsunoda, the Japanese racer currently fighting it out for the Racing Bulls junior team, is being touted as a likely candidate to replace Lawson. Could Tsunoda be the one to join Max Verstappen as his new team-mate?
While Red Bull might also consider external options, including drivers without a permanent seat for the 2025 season, recent reports suggesting a possible interest in Franco Colapinto are not accurate. Colapinto, the Argentine driver who had a brief stint with Williams in the second half of 2024, is not expected to figure in Red Bull’s contingency plan, should Lawson be replaced.
Colapinto had earlier caught the attention of several teams, including Red Bull and Alpine, with his impressive performance for Williams. He had scored points in two of his initial appearances, filling in for Logan Sargeant post last year’s Dutch Grand Prix.
Red Bull’s interest in the young driver was evident when team principal Christian Horner was seen discussing a potential deal with Williams at the Brazilian Grand Prix last November. But, after a series of crashes toward the end of the 2024 season, Red Bull’s interest in Colapinto appears to have waned.
Despite this, Alpine confirmed Colapinto as one of their reserve drivers for the 2025 season. Williams’ team boss, James Vowles, had then commented that this move was the driver’s “best chance” of getting back into the race, potentially even this year.
Persistent whispers suggest that Colapinto may replace Jack Doohan in an Alpine race seat at some point in the 2025 season. Both Alpine’s team principal Oliver Oakes and executive advisor Flavio Briatore have not denied the possibility of this swap. Doohan’s contract reportedly covers only the first few races of the 2025 season, and his continued participation will be based largely on his performance.
Doohan has demonstrated impressive pace in the early rounds of this season, even outpacing F1 race winner Pierre Gasly in qualifying for the sprint race in Shanghai. However, Alpine currently languishes at the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship as the only team yet to score a point in the 2025 F1 season.