The Formula 1 summer break is notorious for decisions on driver’s futures to be decided as it falls midway through the campaign.
Team principals would have seen enough to decide whether their drivers deserve a new contract and right now there are 10 drivers still waiting to find out if their deals are being extended.
While hosting the F1 Nation Podcast, journalist Tom Clarkson was reporting back on what he’d heard in the paddock at the Chinese Grand Prix about one driver’s future.
There are unsurprisingly several drivers who appear to be under serious pressure after just five races.
Both Sauber drivers – Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu – now know they’re fighting for one seat after the announcement of Nico Hulkenberg’s arrival in 2025.
Unfortunately, it appears as though neither driver is the first choice to fill that role with their eyes firmly set on Carlos Sainz.
However, at least they’re both expected to survive until the end of the current campaign.
Tom Clarkson admits he’s heard rumours in the paddock that Williams could replace Logan Sargeant after the summer break.
After being handed a reprieve by team principal James Vowles following an underwhelming rookie campaign, he’s failed to take sufficient steps forward during his sophomore season.
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Williams lining up a replacement for Logan Sargeant during the summer break
It’s difficult to imagine that Logan Sargeant is going to receive the same fanfare when he arrives at his home race in Miami this weekend as Zhou Guanyu did in Shanghai.
The 23-year-old isn’t a recognisable face in the United States in comparison to his Chinese rival and the results he’s produced in Formula 1 so far have hardly created headlines.
He scored the only point of his F1 career on home turf in Austin but it was hardly the impressive feat that many would expect.
Sargeant crossed the line in 12 that day and only picked up a point after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified.
It would be unfair to say that Sargeant hasn’t had some strong moments and last season Alex Albon suggested that he doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
However, Albon hasn’t come out and defended his teammate this year – and why should he – already the moment Sargeant had to hand over his chassis to the Thai driver was almost certainly the moment that confirmed the American didn’t have a long-term future in the sport.
The summer break is still a long way off but Williams will want to put plans into place sooner rather than later if that’s when Sargeant is going to be asked to step aside on a more permanent basis than he was in Australia.
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James Vowles has key decision to make on Logan Sargeant’s future
Reflecting on the latest information he’s heard in the driver’s market, Clarkson said: “When we’re discussing Carlos Sainz, I think we need to bring in Kimi Antonelli into the conversation.
“Toto Wolff wants Antonelli at Mercedes long term, it’s just a question of whether he’s going to be ready in 2025 or does he get given to another team to learn the ropes and then comes back to Mercedes in a few years’ time.
“And the talk in China last weekend is that Antonelli is going to be in the second Williams alongside Alex Albon from the summer break onwards.
“He turns 18 at the end of August, I think funnily enough Williams are actually asking the FIA for special dispensation.
“You know, Max [Verstappen] drove a Formula 1 car, raced in Formula 1 at 17, why can’t Kimi Antonelli?
“But, I think the rules are now set and I don’t think there will be a dispensation.
“I see Antonelli in the Williams second half of the season replacing Logan Sargeant and then I don’t think James Vowles will settle for anything less than 18 months.”
Is Kimi Antonelli ready to race for Williams in 2024?
If Logan Sargeant does lose his Williams in the summer break, then that leaves the team with a small conundrum.
Kimi Antonelli appears the obvious choice but as Clarkson says, he would need special dispensation to race in Zandvoort in Round 15.
That’s because he doesn’t turn 18 until the following week and would be ready to race for Williams at his home race in Monza.
It means test driver Franco Colapinto or junior driver Zak O’Sullivan might be called upon for a single race. However, they may not be too happy to see a junior driver brought in from another team who is going to immediately leapfrog them in the Williams pecking order.
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