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Franco Colapinto has replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams Racing effective immediately, and will race at the Italian Grand Prix.
Sargeant was confirmed to be departing the Grove-based outfit at the conclusion of the 2024 season, with current Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz replacing the American for the 2025 campaign.
However, a pointless run behind the wheel of his FW46, and more importantly a series of costly mistakes and crashes have prompted the team to look for a temporary replacement.
The 23-year-old from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, dipped two wheels on the damp grass during the final practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix. This sent Sargeant into the barriers at high-speed, resulting in extensive damage which forced him to sit out Qualifying later the same day.
Williams don’t have a large budget to begin with, and Sargeant has cost the British team over a million dollars worth of damage so far this season. With this in mind, Team Principal James Vowles started to explore driver replacement options while in Zandvoort.
It is understood that Vowles approached both Mercedes and Red Bull to secure the services of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Liam Lawson respectively, but in the end he has opted to promote Test driver Franco Colapinto for the final nine rounds of 2024.
The Argentinian youngster races full-time in Formula 2, and currently sits sixth in the Drivers’ Championship with a race victory and two further podiums.
Statement from the team
In a statement released by Williams, Colapinto expressed his excitement at finally making it to the pinnacle of open-wheel motorsport. He said: “It is an honour to be making my Formula 1 debut with Williams – this is what dreams are made of.
“The team has such amazing history and a mission to get back to the front which I can’t wait to be part of. Coming into F1 mid-season will be an enormous learning curve but I am up for the challenge, and I’m fully focused on working as hard as I can with Alex and the team to make it a success.”
Williams boss Vowles added: “To replace a driver mid-season is not a decision we have taken lightly, but we believe this gives Williams the best chance to compete for points over the remainder of the season.
“We have just brought a large upgrade to the car and need to maximise every points-scoring opportunity in a remarkably tight midfield battle,” stated the Team Principal.
Vowles went on to thank Sargeant for all of his work in the last three seasons: “This is undoubtedly incredibly tough on Logan, who has given his all throughout his time with Williams, and we want to thank him for all his hard work and positive attitude.
“Logan remains a talented driver and we will support him to continue his racing career for the future. I know that Franco has great speed and huge potential, and we look forward to seeing what he can do in Formula 1.”
The Italian Grand Prix commences Sunday 1 September at 14:00 BST (15:00 local time). Can Colapinto impress?
Feature Image Credit: @DesiRacingco on X