“Red Bull Faces €20 Million Price Tag for Colapinto, While McLaren Releases Bortoleto to Sauber for Free”
Reports suggest that Red Bull may need to pay an enormous €20 million to secure Franco Colapinto, whereas McLaren reportedly asked nothing from Sauber for Gabriel Bortoleto.
Next year’s Formula 1 season could introduce as many as five rookies, with Mercedes confirming Kimi Antonelli, Haas announcing Oliver Bearman, and Alpine bringing in Jack Doohan.
Sauber will welcome Brazilian driver Gabriel Bortoleto, announced on Wednesday, while Colapinto might also secure a spot with Red Bull, potentially either with VCARB or the main team. However, his position could depend on Red Bull’s willingness to pay Williams €20 million to release him from his contract, per La Gazzetta dello Sport.
This contrasts sharply with McLaren, which reportedly demanded nothing from Sauber for Bortoleto. Audi F1 head Mattia Binotto confirmed that McLaren had no financial conditions tied to Bortoleto’s transfer; if he received an F1 race seat, he was free to go. Bortoleto has since signed a multi-year contract with Sauber and will compete for the team as it becomes Audi in 2026.
“I didn’t discuss it with Zak [Brown],” Binotto shared with the media, including PlanetF1.com. “We just greeted each other, and no payment was involved. Gabriel was free to leave because he had this opportunity.”