F1: Franco Colapinto will return to Williams, James Vowles said

The director of the Grove team said that there is still a contractual link with the Argentine pilot and will return in the future.

The day that the arrival of Franco Colapint was announced to Alpine to occupy a position as a reserve pilot, an agreement was mentioned for five years and even slid some possibility of returning to Williams after that. It was something that was floating in the environment because all kinds of conjectures and speculation on what time the Argentine would take the place of Jack Doohan, the titular pilot of the French Team, and the English team was in the past began to weave. However, during the presentation of the FW47 in SilverstoneJames Vowles put the theme again on the mat.

Motorsport.com consulted directly to the director of Williams about the contractual situation of the Argentine. “I am trying to think how Alpine described it. The main thing is this: it is with Alpine and is a Alpine pilot for several years. Then, I hope you return to Williams,” said English.

On July 29 of last year, Williams announced Carlos Sainz’s landing for the 2025 season and, thus, form a great pair with Alex Albon. Just 26 days later, Logan Sargeant destroyed the FW46 in Zandvoort, during the third essay of the Netherlands GP. It was the drop that filled the Vawles glass, who after the Dutch appointment decided to eject the American. On August 27, the mythical team founded by Frank Williams announced that Colapinto would run the rest of the year instead of Sargeant. The rest, known history, the Argentine added five points, had a good debut in Monza, showed great quality flashes in complicated races such as Azerbaijan and Singapore, mixed them with errors in Brazil and Las Vegas, but, without a doubt, it would have won The chance of starting in Grove for 2025. But there was no place. Then, Vowles began to evaluate the alternatives to collaborate with his pupil.

And Alpine appeared. “There is a period of time in which I hope you are running for Alpine, that’s why we did this, because I wanted it to run in 25 and, or, in 26. The best opportunity it has is with Alpine,” Vowles said. “And I don’t want to say that to the detriment of Jack Doohan, I hope Jack succeeds, but ultimately, Franco is my pilot that I want back in a car. After a while, he will return to Williams,” sentenced.

Given the consultation of what is the determined time for the return, the team director was clear: “That period of time is not engraved in stone where I can look into your eyes and say it, but I can say that Williams will return to some time.”