'Red Bull boss Mintzlaff spoke to Williams in Las Vegas'
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- Corwin Kunst
Red Bull boss Oliver Mintzlaff reportedly spoke to Williams during the Las Vegas Grand Prix last weekend. This has been reported by Viaplay's analyst Allard Kalff. The subject of conversation is said to have been Franco Colapinto, who may make the switch to join Visa Cash App RB.
"What is interesting: the owner of Red Bull, [Oliver] Mintzlaff, was in Las Vegas. Who also had a meeting with Williams. All sorts of things are going on behind the scenes," Kalff said during the programme called In the Slipstream on Viaplay.
That conversation was possibly about Franco Colapinto. The Williams driver who replaced Logan Sargeant made a good impression during his first weekends in the competition. The 21-year-old driver is still looking for a seat, as Williams already signed Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz before he became a full-time driver.
Red Bull have Colapinto on their radar - as Helmut Marko and Christian Horner have already confirmed - and so now there would also have been talks with Williams. In doing so, it is notable that Mintzlaff himself held that conversation. Colapinto still has a contract with the Grove-based team, therefore, they would have to buy his contract out.
For Red Bull, Colapinto is also interesting for a reason other than his qualities as a driver. Sergio Perez brings in a lot of sponsorship money and is important for the sales market in Central America and South America. Red Bull could (potentially) lose that if they replace Perez, but Colapinto is also an interesting target for commercial reasons. The Argentine also has many sponsors behind him, and he is from the same region.
This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sárközi
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