Amid speculation, Williams F1 may adjust their driver lineup, potentially impacting Sargeant’s future.
Logan Sargeant may find his boss James Vowles’ latest remarks disconcerting.
The Williams F1 Team Principal has notably not dismissed the possibility of altering their driver lineup midway through the season, which could mean sidelining Logan Sargeant to make way for a new driver.
Since Toto Wolff’s recent comments, it appears that the likely new lead driver might be Andrea Kimi Antonelli, aimed at providing the young Italian with more experience.
James Vowles, speaking from the Silverstone paddock, therefore refused to confirm whether Logan Sargeant would retain his seat until the year’s end.
“We are constantly evaluating the situation. What we’ve told Logan is that this is a meritocracy. You need to continuously prove your worth in this sport. That’s the same message he has been hearing for the last 18 months,” Vowles stated.
“We keep an open mind. What I’ve said before, and I stand by it today, is that our car – and it’s a responsibility that weighs on both my shoulders and the team’s – is simply not fast enough. It’s not a driver issue we’re facing right now. We have just developed the car slower than others, and we need to make sure we speed up this process.”
No Immediate Spot for Colapinto in Williams F1
Could Franco Colapinto, another driver from the Williams F1 academy, also be in the running for the Williams F1 seat?
The young Argentinian, a protégé of the Williams F1 academy, made an appearance in EL1 at Silverstone and is performing commendably in F2 this year (5th in the standings).
“We have invested in Logan and will continue to invest in our young driver program; it’s as simple as that. He is developing significantly in the background,” Vowles continued.
“The free practice session wasn’t a showcase or a trial for Colapinto; it was simply a reward for good progress. And we need to run two EL1 sessions [with junior drivers] in the season. It makes sense to do it here, at Silverstone.”
Therefore, Williams F1 did not intend to test Colapinto… and if James Vowles is to be understood correctly, Colapinto will not be replacing Logan Sargeant any time soon.
“I believe you can really burn a driver if you put them in the car too early. And, indeed, in today’s Formula 1, what we see is that rookies struggle because of certain things.”
“So it’s not just about saying ‘excellent, you’ve had a good enough season in Formula 2, you’ve been on the podium.’ In fact, our investment, our commitment to them must be translated into some time spent in a two-year-old car. To get some time to prepare – to make sure that if we choose them to move up in F1, these young drivers are indeed in the strongest position they could be. And we haven’t done that yet for Franco.”
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