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Williams Team Principal James Vowles insists the team can attract top drivers when asked about potential targets.
The nine-time constructors’ championship winners extended Alexander Albon’s contract last month, meaning the Brit-Thai driver will drive for the team until at least the end of 2026.
However, with Logan Sargeant’s deal expiring at the end of the year, some big names are being linked to replace the American in 2025.
Sticking by Sargeant
If Williams are to recruit a new driver, it would mean letting go of Sargeant. The American driver joined the team as a rookie in 2023 after impressing in Formula 2. However, after a tough spell at the Grove-based outfit, his place at the team has been questioned. Despite his woes, claiming only a singular point after 31 races, Vowles has shown his support for Sargeant on multiple occasions.
After Albon’s crash in Melbourne’s Free Practice Two left his chassis unrepairable before race day, Sargeant was forced to concede his drive for the Australian Grand Prix in March, handing it over to his teammate instead.
As a result, Vowles’ faith in the American was scrutinised, but Pit Debrief reported that he quickly dampened those allegations:
“No, I don’t think that’s the case. The fact I re-signed him shows you I have faith in him”, Vowles responded when his faith in Sargeant was questioned.
“This year, I think you’ve seen he’s been closer to Alex than before. However, I have one car and just one car.”
On several occasions, the team principal has shown his support for his driver.
Eyes elsewhere?
In recent race weekends, though, the former Mercedes Strategy Director has hinted increasingly more at a potential exit for Sargeant. Following the Canadian Grand Prix, Vowles spoke to Formula 1 about next year’s driver line-up. Vowles said:
“We are prepared to have a driver line-up that I think is going to be one of the best on the grid, if it’s achieved, and that’s a different era that we’re going into.
“We’re investing tens if not hundreds of millions to [take] this team back to where it was in terms of success.
“There is, in the background, a number of really great signings that will slowly start edging out into the world. But this really .is a good journey where we’re now starting to see the hard work that started 12 months ago come into play, and that gives me every reason to be confident that we’re moving forward.”
James Vowles says Logan Sargeant's seat at Williams is "at risk" unless he steps up his performance against team-mate Alex Albon ?
Vowles also confirmed that Williams is talking to "a few other drivers" about 2025 ?️
Should Williams drop Sargeant? #F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/45Ap9WXNow
— Autosport (@autosport) May 18, 2024
Sargeant is one of nine drivers on the current grid who does not have a guaranteed drive for 2025.
Who could replace Sargeant?
Over recent weeks, a plethora of names have been linked to the second seat at Williams. Current Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz arguably heads that list.
After the Italian team confirmed in February that Lewis Hamilton would be racing for them next year, Sainz was left without a seat for 2025. With Red Bull extending Sergio Perez’s contract and Mercedes seemingly setting their sights on Andrea Kimi Antonelli, only a handful of options remain for the Spanish driver.
Among these options is Williams, which, if they were to secure the signing of Sainz, would arguably have one of the strongest driver pairings on the grid. For the English team to achieve this, though, they would have to overcome the allure of Kick Sauber, whom Sainz could be tempted to join ahead of their rebrand to Audi in 2026.
When asked about the possibility of Sainz joining the team in 2025, Vowles reiterated how far it shows the team has come:
“This isn’t the Williams of old, and I think first and foremost the fact that we are having Sainz on our list will certainly show you that this isn’t how we’ve performed of late.”
? | Carlos Sainz is reportedly in advanced discussions with Williams regarding a potential deal for the 2025 F1 season.
The team has emerged as a strong candidate to sign the Spaniard for next year.#F1 pic.twitter.com/ULskGSKraw
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) May 23, 2024
Antonelli, Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Ocon have all also been linked with a potential move to Williams.
Feature Image Credit: @Newsweek on X