“What we’ve already said is we’re very open-minded. We’re waiting, in that circumstance, for Audi or Sauber to come to us and say, what do you want, what are you interested in? And from there, we can then discuss what it actually means as an implication. But the first stage is more an open discussion.”
In terms of whether Colapinto has exceeded his expectations since making his debut, Vowles commented: “Yes, in as much as… We knew he was quick, that’s why we put him in the car, but expected him to take more time to get up to speed.
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“In Monza, that was about what I would have hoped for, effectively, but going to a new track that you’ve never been to before [in Baku] and being on the pace, really, in FP1, and even after an accident, coming straight back onto the pace is a challenge, and he’s very, very good at absorbing all the pressure that’s on his shoulders and just delivering.”
Vowles pointed to Colapinto’s ability to stay “calm under pressure” as one of his most impressive qualities.
“It’s always hard to describe what happens to these elite athletes when you step up into Formula 1,” the Team Principal said. “It’s a completely different world and the pressure mounts exponentially, and he takes it all in his stride.
“You can hear over the radio, just listen to his voice. He’s just incredibly calm and collected and just wants more information, more information. So it’s a sign of a really good individual that’s able to cope with what’s happening.”
