“First and foremost, he’s worthy of being a Formula 1 driver, so we will do what we have to – to a certain extent – to make it work in that regard,” the Team Principal said. “I’m not sure where Sauber are in their decision making and I’m not sure where VCARB are in their decision making.
“What I do know is this – take the last 12 months and tell me that you managed to predict anything of what’s going to happen, because I didn’t.
“And the point to that is I think Franco is, if he is not directly in a seat in 2025, the best option that is available to everyone up and down the field – ourselves included, [given that] you can’t predict what’s going to happen – so our responsibility towards him is making sure we’re doing testing in a historic car, making sure that he’s here working with us, that we keep him as best placed as we possibly can such that, if opportunity arises, he can take it.”
And on whether he would ensure that Colapinto retained a link to Williams even if driving for another team, Vowles added: “It all depends on whatever deal you can strike, wherever he goes. That’s not necessarily a yes, you need to see what people are offering and what circumstances they’re offering.
“What’s really important to me is that I trusted him and in return he’s trusted me, and that means a huge amount to us as an organisation, so now finding the way forward for him to be a professional racing driver in Formula 1 is key – I just can’t tell you what it looks like because each team is different in how they talk.”
