Logan Sargeant, the lone American driver in Formula 1, was let go by Williams and will be substituted by Franco Colapinto at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix. Sargeant amassed just one point in 36 races since his arrival at Williams at the start of the 2023 campaign. His top result this season was an 11th-place finish. However, following a crash during practice at the Dutch Grand Prix last week, he finished 16th in the race.
James Vowles, the team principal, expressed that the decision to replace a driver mid-season was not taken lightly, emphasizing the need to capitalize on every points-scoring opportunity in a competitive midfield battle. Sargeant was due to be replaced for the next season as Carlos Sainz Jr. will be joining Williams.
Speculation suggests that Sargeant may consider a move to IndyCar with Prema Racing for the upcoming season. The 21-year-old Colapinto, currently sixth in the F2 standings, will become the first Argentine driver in F1 since 2001. Colapinto mentioned that he is prepared for the challenge of jumping into F1 mid-season and is dedicated to working alongside Alex Albon and the team for success.
Sargeant entered F1 last year as the first U.S. driver since 2015 but struggled to match his teammate’s performance. His highlight came at the United States Grand Prix last year when he secured a point for finishing 10th after disqualifications ahead of him. Despite his efforts, Sargeant often lagged behind Albon in both qualifying and races this season.
Williams commended Sargeant for his efforts and positive attitude but expressed the team’s goal to assist him in continuing his racing career in the future.
