James Vowles has tied down one of his Williams drivers long-term after Alex Albon agreed to sign a new contract. But now he must decide on the identity of his teammate.
Logan Sargeant has, in the words of one journalist, been ‘pre-fired’ for a long time now. Williams kept faith in him for 2024 after an underwhelming rookie campaign, but he’s failed to show any notable improvement.
They even requested special dispensation to field Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli prior to his 18th birthday in late August. They were seemingly ready to fire Sargeant at the earliest opportunity.
However, there’s ‘next to no chance’ of the FIA bending their superlicence rules to allow Antonelli to make an early debut. And Williams are now ‘cooling’ on the idea anyway.
Antonelli is a ‘superstar’ of the future in the words of Nico Rosberg, but signing him isn’t necessarily straightforward. He’s a ‘contender’ to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year, and Vowles may not want a driver who will be gone after half a season.
That may be why he’s also been looking at more experienced candidates. There have been talks over a reunion with Valtteri Bottas and an ambitious move for Carlos Sainz, though the latter is regarded as a ‘long shot’.
James Vowles not keen on signing Mick Schumacher for Williams
One driver who isn’t in the running for the Williams seat, according to Auto Motor und Sport, is Mick Schumacher. They’ve learned that Vowles has left him off the shortlist.
Schumacher, the son of seven-time world champion Michael, broke into F1 with Haas in 2021 after winning the F2 title. However, he only lasted two years before the team replaced him with the more experienced Nico Hulkenberg.
This year, he’s been carrying out a development role at Mercedes, a team with whom Williams share close ties. In addition to their engine supply deal, they previously fielded Silver Arrows junior George Russell for three years.
As for Schumacher’s colleague Antonelli, Williams are wary of serving as a ‘training station’ for Mercedes. They would want a guaranteed two-year deal to put him in the car.
Alpine could offer Mick Schumacher Formula 1 lifeline
While the door to Williams is closed, there’s still hope for Schumacher as he pursues another shot in F1. The CEO of Alpine is ‘positive’ about the idea of signing him for next year.
The 25-year-old has been representing the French outfit in the World Endurance Championship, and team principal Bruno Famin has been impressed. They could potentially set up a day of testing in an old car to see what he can do.
Alpine know that they may lose both Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon at the end of the year. The out-of-contract duo are currently ‘exploring their options’.
Toto Wolff has called Schumacher a ‘tremendous’ driver, and he did undeniably show flashes of brilliance during his stint with Haas. Perhaps his finest race was the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix, when he came home sixth to deliver eight points.
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