Williams has “bigger problems” than its Formula 1 driver line-up amid rumours that Logan Sargeant could be replaced mid-season, according to boss James Vowles.
Sargeant struggled to acclimatise to F1 during an inconsistent rookie season that saw him score one of the team’s 28 points and be out-qualified at all of the rounds.
The American’s deficit to Alex Albon has continued into 2024, with Sargeant also being placed on the sidelines in Australia when his team-mate damaged his chassis.
This has prompted rumours that Mercedes talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli could take his seat amid reports a request has been lodged to grant him an FIA Superlicense.
Still, prior to that news coming to light, Vowles said his focus lies on improving the team’s overall performance, with Williams still waiting to score a point this season.
“We have far bigger problems to solve than drivers at the moment,” Vowles said in Miami.
“Alex has done championship-level drives and at the moment he’s not scoring points and fundamentally we have it on us to improve our car going forward.
“That’s my primary concern more than anything else and what we do with drivers going into ’25, ‘26.”
Vowles did mention though that Williams “had options on the table, but it is far too early to tell” who could partner Albon, who retains a contract until the end of 2025.
“In the sense of Kimi [Antonelli], you have to remember it’s just 20 months ago he was in a Formula 4 car,” he highlighted.
“That’s a large, large step up into a Formula 1 car in such a short space of time.”
Antonelli’s F1 preparations have seen him sample both Mercedes’ 2021 and 2022 cars in recent times, as he is in the frame to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.
Meanwhile, Sargeant, who closed to within a tenth of Albon over one lap, encountered another pointless weekend in Miami as Kevin Magnussen tagged him at Turn 3.
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