Formula 1: New landing spot already emerging for Franco Colapinto?

In the days leading up to the Italian Grand Prix nearly three weeks ago, you would have been hard pressed to find somebody who knew the name of Franco Colapinto, even in the Formula 1 community.

At the time, the Argentinian, who is part of the Williams Driver Academy, was a Formula 2 driver who had had some levels of success, but he largely flew under the radar.

It's largely why Williams, and team principal James Vowles in particular, drew such criticism when they made the decision to drop the ever-struggling and crash-prone Logan Sargeant and replace him with Colapinto.

But just two races into his career, everybody knows his name.

Having been announced as Alex Albon's teammate just days before he made his Formula 1 debut at Monza, the 21-year-old drove a clean first weekend, which was previously very far from a given for Williams' second car, and finished a very respectable 12th place, just behind his teammate in 10th.

While he followed that up with a worrying crash in practice ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku, Colapinto bounced back to give Williams its first double Q3 appearance this season, and he finished in a remarkable eighth place on what was a season-best 10-point day for the team.

His performances have even earned him the respect of three-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton after doing battle with him and fellow rookie stand-in Oliver Bearman in the closing stages of the race.

With his solid start, Colapinto may have an outside shot at a 2025 race seat.

No matter how well does for the rest of this 2024 season, Colapinto will not be racing for Williams in 2025, as Albon is already locked down on a multi-year deal, while the second seat has gone to Carlos Sainz Jr., who is set to be ousted by Ferrari at the end of the year to make way for Hamilton.

However, that doesn't mean Colapinto won't find a seat on the grid at all. After all, there are still two seats from two different teams that remain unoccupied for 2025. The first one is at RB alongside Yuki Tsunoda, but it is very much expected that Liam Lawson will get that spot, and if that doesn't happen, it's likely that Daniel Ricciardo will stay.

That leaves just one seat still up for grabs, and that is none other than the one at Sauber, the team set to become Audi in 2026, which is currently held by Valtteri Bottas. The team have already confirmed Nico Hulkenberg for their other seat.

There have been ongoing discussions at the team for what seems like months now, and at one point, the team had a list that included Sainz and Esteban Ocon before they signed elsewhere. Bottas and the team's other current driver, Zhou Guanyu, are also on the list, as is the driver now believed to be the frontrunner, Formula 2 driver Gabriel Bortoleto.

Now Colapinto has emerged as the latest contender for Sauber's 2025 vacancy.

Reports began making rounds through the paddock almost immediately following Colapinto's eighth place finish in Baku. It's clear that many are taking notice of this young, rising talent.

There also appears to be a fair amount of foundation to these rumors.

"I want to give Colapinto a seat for 2025 and ideally in Formula 1. Realistically, there is only one team left, we will see what we can manage there. In two races, Colapinto has shown the world that he deserves a seat in Formula 1. We will see what the possibilities are at Audi (Sauber) and if we can find a way we can work together."

- James Vowles

Of course, these developments are in their very early stages, and they are probably still unlikely to come to fruition.

At the end of the day, Vowles is a team principal trying to do right by one of his academy drivers while keeping him developed and ready for a Williams drive in case Albon or Sainz walk out the door. How could you blame Vowles for seeking this opportunity for a driver who may have saved the team's season?

For Colapinto's own sake, staying in Formula 1 and getting this Sauber seat must be a priority, even if they are the undisputed slowest and least desirable destination currently on the grid.

Given the promise he's shown after just two races, taking a reserve role or reverting back to Formula 2 will only stunt his development toward being a potential future star.