Is Williams about to make a mid-season switch with Sargeant and Antonelli?
The 17 year-old could make a sensational mid-season debut for Williams, but it would not be a Senna-like ‘back of the grid’ move to relieve any pressure.
F1 is a cut-throat business. Imagine being at your home race and being told of rumours that it might be your last in the season? Having had just four races to prove himself, Logan Sargeant looks like he is on the brink.
Sargeant’s F1 career got off to an unconvincing start when he was announced by then-team principal Jost Capito in 2022. The team was in a dilemma of its own because they initially wanted to have Nyck De Vries, but were blindsided by Helmut Marko and Red Bull.
Capito announced the American F2 rookie would get the seat anyway at the US Grand Prix in Austin, pending him reaching the super licence requirements. A few practice sessions on a Friday super licence earned Sargeant the milage needed for the magic 40 points, and it sealed his drive for 2023.
When Williams announced the departure of Capito in favour of ex-Mercedes man James Vowles the following January, it effectively put Sargeant on notice pending his results. Although he received backing from Vowles, the team does not think he is at the level of Alex Albon.
The signs were there in Australia, when Williams came without a spare chassis and willingly gave up his race because they felt Albon had more of a chance of scoring points, despite the fact that it was the Thai-English driver that got them in the uncomfortable position in the first place by crashing his car in free practice.
Williams had good reason to want Albon in the car over Sargeant, but the brutal decision hardly did much for his confidence. It showed just how much of a mountain he has to climb to earn their trust, with Vowles reiterating the “enormous challenge” that faces the American.
“At the end of last year he came close to Alex [Albon], which is what I wanted him to do, but that progression had to continue. He had to be at the point where he's not sitting a tenth behind him, but rather challenging him and out-qualifying him and out-racing him,” Vowles told media in Miami.
“We’re still on that journey. What Logan has as a challenge in front of him is enormous. We can't underrate where Alex is as a driver. He was, I think, underrated before and he's a brilliant, brilliant driver in his own entity. In terms of Logan, what I've been asking for him is, despite the pressures of the world, you need to pull that all and put it behind you and make sure you're now out there fighting and out-qualifying Alex.”
F1 is a meritocracy where drivers must earn their place and much of Sargeant’s career feats have come from blind luck. His first (and to date) only points were at the US Grand Prix as a result of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton being disqualified, while he out-qualified Albon in Sprint qualifying at Miami because his lap was deleted for track limits.
Now it appears Williams are evaluating their options, of which they have an impressive pool to choose from, including F2 drivers Zak O’Sullivan and Franco Colapinto. But it seems the prospect of taking Mercedes protege Andrea Kimi Antonelli could be their next move.
Not a ‘back of the grid’ Senna move
Antonelli is seen as the potential replacement for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next season, and given their current form, it looks increasingly likely that they will give him a chance in the big seat. A drive at Williams for the remainder of the 2024 season would be seen as a way to turn him into a seasoned rookie.
The FIA confirmed it received a request to give dispensation for Antonelli because of he does not yet meet the minimum age requirements to be granted a super licence: “We are looking into it but there's a process to be followed and multiple people/commissions required to vote and agree to it as it requires a rule change.”
Brought in after Max Verstappen made his debut at 17 years-old in 2015 after his fast-track career path from karting to F3, then F1, the FIA made changes to the super licence criteria in the International Sporting Code to ensure drivers are experienced enough to race.
Any new applicant must:
Be a holder of a valid driving licence
At least 18 years-old at the start of their first F1 weekend
Pass a theory test on the International Sporting Code and regulations
Have completed at least 80% of two full seasons of qualifying championships
Covered at least 300km in a representative F1 car at racing speeds over a two-day period
Accumulated at least 40 points or more in a three-year period in qualifying championships
It’s a testament that Verstappen, Kimi Raikkonen, or Daniel Ricciardo would have been ineligible to make their F1 debuts under the new criteria. Antonelli falls short of two main criteria: his age (he is currently 17 years-old) and not having a valid driving licence.
It is understood that Mercedes is happy with respect the age limit and wait until Antonelli turns 18 in August, by which point he would be eligible to make his debut as early as Monza. Although Vowles did not rule out a move for Antonelli, it appears the team is not looking to replace Sargeant immediately.
“I haven't spoken to Kimi since Abu Dhabi last year. Hopefully that puts it in context. I know nothing about what's going on at Mercedes’ tests right now. We are looking, as everyone else is, for where we want to be on driver line-up for next year and we have our own young driver programme. In the case of Kimi, I can't really adjudicate on the level he's at,” said Vowles.
Mercedes did conduct a test with Antonelli recently at both the Red Bull Ring and Imola in their 2021 and 2022 cars, although it would be immense pressure for him to make his debut in front of his home crowd. Vowles was keen to point out that his trajectory has been stratospheric: “You have to remember it's just 20 months ago he was in a Formula 4 car. That's a large, large step up into a Formula 1 car in such a short space of time.”
So far, Antonelli has not demonstrated anything extraordinary that would enable him to be granted dispensation. His F2 season has got off to a shaky start at Prema, his best finish being in the Australia feature race when he finished fourth. It could be viewed in FIA circles as a positive story amid the backdrop of investigations into President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, but such a move could make a mockery of their decision over Colton Herta.
The IndyCar driver was denied a super licence in 2022 when Marko pursued the then-22 year-old American to race for AlphaTauri as a replacement for outgoing Pierre Gasly. Despite his winning pedigree in IndyCar - not to mention starting the Indy 500 - Herta fell short of the required 40 super licence points. This is eventually what led Red Bull to pursue De Vries after his impressive F1 debut for Williams in place of a sick Albon at Monza.
Would the optics of allowing a 17 year-old with even less experience be seen as appropriate for the FIA? It’s perhaps one for the various parties and commissions to consider when debating his eligibility.
A move to Williams as a seat warmer before Mercedes would also not be an Ayrton Senna-like ‘back of the grid’ move for Antonelli. The team is in an intense battle with four others for sixth in the Constructors’ Championship, a place that is worth millions in prize money at the end of the year. As evidenced by their expectations from Sargeant, he would need to be close to the level of Albon from the get-go.
Mercedes seem happy that Antonelli has conducted himself without any major issues, and judging by their happiness to wait, it might be better to evaluate Antonelli further down the line once he gets up to speed in the European F2 rounds and puts in further F1 test milage.
The NIBs
Brown predicts further Red Bull exits
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When asked if he had seen an increase of Red Bull staff on the job market, Brown answered: "Yeah, we've seen an increase in CVs coming in our way, from the team."
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