James Vowles asserts it would’ve been ‘unfair’ on Logan Sargeant to let him continue for remainder of 2024
James Vowles made a tough call to replace Logan Sargeant mid-way through the season in favour of Franco Colapinto.
Follow Us
James Vowles and Logan Sargeant (images via IMAGO)
The silly season within the F1 paddock was at its peak after the Dutch GP. Logan Sargeant was replaced mid-way through the season by Franco Colapinto due to his constant struggles, and his crash during free practice at Zandvoort was considered to be the final nail in his coffin. Reflecting on why Williams had to make such a harsh call, James Vowles explained how it would have been unfair for the American if he had let him continue for the remainder of the races.
Logan Sargeant was rushed through his junior program, which made experts skeptical about his performance ceiling at Williams. Despite such speculations, he made 36 race starts while repping the blue outfit and was on course to complete his second F1 season. On the other hand, at Zandvoort, he crashed the FW46, leaving the Grove-based team with a huge repair bill.
Subsequently, it appeared as the last straw, as Vowles & Co. reckoned that Franco Colapinto had more chance of scoring points in the FW46 than Sargeant.
It was good to see his progression, and if that progression continued we would have the driver I think in a very strong place this year. It didn't feel like the right point to cut ties and sever ties as a result of it. So the reason now is straightforward, we've had enough experience to know that he's reached the limit of what he's able to achieve. In fact, it's almost unfair on him furthermore continuing that.James Vowles said in an interview as quoted by Motorsport.com
James Vowles elaborated that by the end of the 2023 season, the 23-year-old was closing up to Alex Albon in terms of performance. The team later realized that Sargeant had reached his limit as he was unable to out qualify his teammate in qualifying sessions. He then admitted that letting the American continue for longer would have been unfair for Sargeant as the latter was incompetent in progressing ahead.
Ralf Schumacher’s take on James Vowles’ decision to hire Franco Colapinto
On the other hand, Franco Colapinto would make his F1 debut at Monza this weekend. While he was not the only candidate for the seat at the English team, Mick Schumacher was rumored to be the prime candidate for replacing Sargeant.
This decision to promote an F2 driver instead of hiring a former F1 driver was not understood by multiple experts on the grid. Moreover, Ralf Schumacher joined in to explain how the decision to give the chance to the Argentine left his nephew on the sidelines.
Well, I think Mick[Schumacher] obviously at Haas, didn't have the chance to prove his pure talent. At the end of the season, with Magnussen [as teammate], he was really fast. But yeah, that's Formula 1 and you have to accept what he (Vowles) thinks. I think a bit differently, but it's okay. On the other hand, it's understandable that they tried to force their own young drivers.Ralf Schumacher said in an interview with GPBlog
The German claimed that Mick Schumacher was not given the chance to portray his talent at Haas. He was not content with the choice that Vowles made. However, he admitted it was understandable that Williams was trying to promote their young drivers, which is a good step for the sport.
Apart from this, Colapinto would like to leave his impression on the grid at Monza. The FW46 behaves extremely well in low-drag setups and could be a points contender in Italy. Thus, the 21-year-old would be hoping to score solid points on his debut and catapult the team in the championship standings.
In case you missed it:
- Carlos Sainz baffled over Ferrari’s slump being labeled as ‘the end of the world’ by critics
- Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton claims he feels a ‘little bit different’ at the Italian GP this season
Stay Updated!
Geetansh Pasricha
(742 Articles Published)