Should the Williams seat go to Logan Sargeant or Kimi Antonelli?
While Williams team boss James Vowles says Logan Sargeant has “more work to do”, it would appear he is safe from losing his seat to Kimi Antonelli, for now.
Antonelli, a Mercedes junior, will not reach the minimum age of 18 required to obtain an FIA super licence until late August. However, PlanetF1.com has received information suggesting that a request for an exemption has been made to the governing body to grant Antonelli a super licence prior to his 18th birthday.
Kimi Antonelli request increases pressure on Logan Sargeant
The team in charge of submitting the dispensation request has not been officially confirmed. However, according to PlanetF1.com, it is believed that Mercedes is not the team behind it. This development has further fueled speculations that Antonelli might take over Sargeant’s position at Williams before the conclusion of the F1 2024 season.
Antonelli is currently participating in his first-ever Formula 2 campaign, but he recently concluded tests in Formula 1 cars from Mercedes at Imola and the Red Bull Ring.
Although Vowles mentioned that it is Sargeant’s responsibility to prove himself and secure his position in their line-up, he seemed to dismiss the idea of Antonelli replacing Sargeant anytime soon. However, Vowles avoided answering whether Williams was accountable for the FIA request.
“Allow me to clarify, I haven’t had any communication with Kimi since the Abu Dhabi race last year,” Vowles informed the media during the Miami Grand Prix, which happens to be Sargeant’s home race. “I hope this provides some context.”
“I am completely unaware of the current developments in the Mercedes tests.”
Like everyone else, we are also in search of our desired driver line-up for the upcoming year. Additionally, we have our own young driver programme.
When it comes to Kimi, I find it difficult to determine the level he is at.
“If he joins the car this year, I have consistently emphasized that it will be based on merit. Logan must prove himself and currently, he faces challenging goals to match Alex [Albon]’s performance. However, there are no plans to replace him at the moment.”
In the 2023 campaign, Sargeant, in his rookie season, was unsuccessful in surpassing his remarkable teammate Albon. Despite his efforts, Sargeant could only manage to earn a single point. Unfortunately, in the F1 2024 campaign, Sargeant’s inability to outperform Albon in terms of lap times has persisted.
In order to meet Williams’ expectations, the Florida-native has tasks ahead, which include outperforming Albon during qualifying and race trim. However, Vowles emphasized that Sargeant still receives their support in pursuing this objective.
Vowles stated that last year he had mentioned how, by the end of the year, he wanted him to reach a level where he was not just close to Alex, but instead challenging and surpassing him by outqualifying and outracing him.
“We are still on this journey, and Logan is facing an enormous challenge ahead of him. It is important not to underestimate Alex’s skills as a driver. He was previously underrated, but he is truly exceptional in his own right.”
Regarding Logan, what I have requested from him is to not let the pressures of the world, the pressures we have collectively created, the pressures I have personally created, and the pressure imposed by all of you [in the media], hinder his progress. It is crucial for him to gather all these pressures and leave them behind, instead focusing on fighting and outperforming Alex, thereby driving the team towards success.
Without a doubt, this is an arduous field, as evident in various formal descriptions that effectively encapsulate the objectives.
“But as I have consistently mentioned, this is a meritocracy where one must prove their worth. Although he still has tasks ahead of him, it’s worth noting that he ranks among the top 20 Formula 1 drivers globally, and this achievement is not without reason.”
“In Miami, at his hometown Grand Prix, I am lifting him up on my shoulders and providing my unwavering support. It is crucial for us to stand by him in this moment. He is in the car, and he will continue to stay in the car. My role here is to offer my support to him.”
PlanetF1.com recommends
Ranked: The top 10 American drivers in Formula 1 history
Stars and racing stripes: Six American teams that failed to crack F1
In Vowles’ inaugural season as the team’s leader, Williams showcased an outstanding performance by scoring 28 points. However, the team remains eager to secure their first point in the 2024 F1 season.
According to Vowles, the current focus is not on their drivers, but rather on enhancing the machinery they have available.
When asked about the possibility of seeing Antonelli in a Williams this season, Vowles acknowledged the desire but emphasized that addressing more pressing issues takes precedence over driver selection.
“Alex has demonstrated exceptional driving skills at the championship level, but currently he is unable to accumulate points. Our main focus should be on enhancing the performance of our car moving forward. This is my utmost concern above all else.”
“Many team bosses here are currently focused on determining their positions for next year, particularly regarding drivers entering ’25/’26.”
“There are various possibilities being considered, but it is still too early to determine what will happen for Kimi. It’s important to remember that just 20 months ago, he was racing in a Formula 4 car. Transitioning to a Formula 1 car in such a short period of time is a significant and rapid progression.”
Vowles stated that he lacks the necessary information from Antonelli’s Mercedes tests to assess his current level.
Vowles confirmed that he relies solely on journalism as his source of information, thus he does not have any direct communication with Mercedes regarding how he is performing in the tests.
I comprehend that he has conducted testing at Imola, and I believe he has also participated in Austria.
“So, in this case, everything I read is the same as what you read, and from what I can gather, it’s positive. It’s difficult to make comparisons in this situation because we’re discussing older cars. I’m unsure if it’s a ’21 or ’22 model, and there’s no real point of reference to compare it to.”
In his most recent race, Antonelli achieved his highest F2 result to date by securing P4 in the feature race held in Australia.
Read next – Revealed: Who are the 12 U.S. Congress members questioning Andretti’s rejected F1 bid?
