Logan Sargeant’s Formula 1 career appears to be hanging by a thread. It’s only his second season in the sport, but it could be his last.
Williams team principal James Vowles told the American that he had to be the ‘surprise’ of the year to retain his drive. That’s after he scored one point to Alex Albon’s 27 in his rookie year.
But the American has failed to produce any major improvement so far this term. While neither Williams driver has scored a point, Albon leads the qualifying head-to-head 4-0 and the race battle 3-1.
Back in Australia, Vowles even decided to bench Sargeant after Albon caused significant damage to his own car in a practice shunt. Williams didn’t have a spare chassis, so they let the Thai driver jump in his teammate’s cockpit.
Sargeant has come in for his fair share of criticism this year, with F1 pundit Jolyon Palmer lamenting his growing list of ‘random mistakes’. Racing driver Richard Bradley can’t see ‘any way’ he keeps his seat.
There are still 19 races to go in F1’s longest-ever season but Williams appear to be shopping around. One of the drivers interesting them is Carlos Sainz, who’s a free agent after Ferrari signed Lewis Hamilton.
Williams could request permission for driver swap
According to journalist Joe Saward, writing on his website, Williams might consider seeking ‘special dispensation’ to promote Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes junior doesn’t turn 18 until late August, which means he’s ineligible for a superlicence.
However, in the hope of an exemption, the Grove outfit may argue that Max Verstappen was ‘fine’ when he made his debut as a 17-year-old. The Dutchman became the youngest driver in F1 history when he joined Toro Rosso in 2015.
Williams’ vision would be an 18-month deal for Antonelli, who would then likely graduate to Mercedes. They effectively ‘loaned’ George Russell for three years between 2019 and 2021 before he made the same step.
Will Kimi Antonelli race for Mercedes in 2025?
In addition to the FIA, the decision will rest with Mercedes. They might also decide they’re ready to take a leap of faith in Antonelli as Hamilton’s replacement.
After all, one report claimed he was ‘looking likely’ to get the seat after Fernando Alonso signed a contract extension at Aston Martin. But Toto Wolff needs time before he makes his decision.
Antonelli is only three rounds into his Formula 2 career and Nico Rosberg has told Wolff to wait and see how he performs. If his inexperience shows, then he may need a year or two of learning at Williams.
The Silver Arrows need to balance their excitement around their academy driver with an appropriate degree of caution. Wolff has called him an ‘immense’ talent (via Formula 1), and privately, he sees him as the next Verstappen or Charles Leclerc.
In addition to his F2 duties, Antonelli is also conducting an extensive testing programme in old Mercedes cars. Last week, he drove the 2021 challenger at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, though bad weather hampered him.
A half-season at Williams, either before or after he turns 18, would be the best possible test of his credentials. But would former Mercedes man Vowles accept such a short-term proposition?
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