So long, Mr. Sargeant
Better half a season late than never...
I want to spare one paragraph for Logan Sargeant.
As the sun sets on his Formula 1 career, I feel the barest hint of disappointment. Having an American on the grid was fun and at no point did I ever sense that Logan had given up or that he didn’t care about delivering for the team. That speaks well of his character as a competitor and as a teammate despite never making it work in F1. The decision to replace him came half a season too late but it’s been made and we move on. I hope he lands in IndyCar.
Who is this Franco Colapinto fellow?
He’s Argentinean and is a member of the Williams Driver Academy, as I’m sure you’ve learned by now. Sitting sixth in Formula 2 - just ahead of Kimi Antonelli - I’ve paid special attention to him because of my enduring soft spot for Williams Racing.
Franco has struck me as a driver capable of very consistent performances. The top-end pace is not stunning and he hasn’t taken pole yet in F2 this year (or last) but he is clearly very capable of running well within the top-ten positions.
It is surely this base consistency that is attractive to Williams after Logan’s penchant for rather destructive weekends.
“You don’t need to beat Alex, but don’t break the car.”
James Vowles has the right approach as evidenced by the drivers who didn’t get picked.
Vowles had interest in Liam Lawson but the terms Red Bull would have required - essentially recalling him whenever they wanted - made that a no go and the door swung shut.
There also was a sniff of Mick Schumacher but that was never a good idea.
Mick is a good driver but he’s also a known quantity. The point of having a driver academy is to retain and develop talent. Too often, F1 teams never get a solid look at how their talent will perform in F1 machinery with the pressure of a Grand Prix weekend because it’s generally not a logical situation to manufacture.
But with less than half a season remaining, a destructive driver being replaced, and a big-time name coming to take the seat next year anyway, this is the perfect environment to get a look at exactly what you have in Franco Colapinto.
It’s an opportunity that can’t be passed up. If he impresses, you have an option if either of your drivers depart in the next couple years. If he doesn’t, your focus can turn to your other academy drivers in the pipeline.
But one way or another, when this situation presents itself, you gotta find out. And now they will.