Williams’ Sargeant Replacement: Justified Decision or Risky Move?
Following months of giving Logan Sargeant the benefit of the doubt, a costly crash in Zandvoort has finally prompted the Williams Formula 1 team to replace him with Franco Colapinto. But how justified is Williams’ call, and is the young Argentine the right replacement?
Was Williams Right to Sack Sargeant?
His position at Williams had been tenuous for some time, but a heavy crash in a wet FP3 session, destroying pretty much every corner of the car and with it a set of Williams’ long-awaited upgrades, appeared to be the final straw for Williams. Sargeant’s crash was reminiscent of the one he suffered in FP1 at the Japanese Grand Prix, where he similarly slipped a wheel onto the grass and suffered a huge accident. As a popular saying goes in F1 when teams approach inexperienced drivers, “it’s OK to make a mistake once, just don’t make the same mistake again.” Unfortunately for Sargeant, he has just made too many of those.
Colapinto: The Right Replacement?
Williams’ need to have a fast, steady pair of hands alongside Albon that can fight for points immediately makes Franco Colapinto a puzzling replacement at first glance. It has ditched a 23-year-old for a 21-year-old rookie with a grand total of one free practice session under his belt at the British Grand Prix. Whether Colapinto is in the strongest place he can be to make a full F1 debut remains to be seen, but Williams must clearly like what it has seen from him in both an F1 and an F2 car.
Why Not Schumacher or Lawson?
Williams didn’t have an embarrassment of riches to choose from, with Mercedes reserve and Alpine World Endurance Championship driver Mick Schumacher and Red Bull reserve Liam Lawson known to be under consideration. Some, like Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, feel F1 hasn’t seen the real Mick after two tough seasons with a struggling Haas squad, while others insist Schumacher has had his chance. Lawson would have been by far the most logical pick, given his impressive and mature cameo subbing for the injured Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri last year. However, Lawson’s position as Red Bull’s reserve driver for all of its four seats across two teams looks set to have been a dealbreaker.
A Risk Worth Taking?
Its bold decision to go with unproven Colapinto is a risk too, and only time will tell how that will pan out. But, while continuing with Sargeant was a dead end, at least it will have the potential upside of further developing a homegrown talent who may well become a good future prospect. Stay tuned for the latest Formula 1 news and updates as the season unfolds.
“Its bold decision to go with unproven Colapinto is a risk too, and only time will tell how that will pan out.”
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