F1 News
Antonelli in action in F1 as early as '24? 'Then I have to consider my options'
- Ludo van Denderen
For Logan Sargeant, it has been completely clear since the announcement of the deal with Carlos Sainz: There is no place for the American at Williams in 2025. Ten more races remain as Sargeant has to find a seat elsewhere. At least, that is the intention. Team principal James Vowles still does not rule out Sargeant having to make way for someone else already during the current season. The most logical candidate in that case? Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the intended Mercedes driver for 2025.
Currently, Antonelli (17 years old) is in the middle of a shaky campaign in Formula 2; sometimes great results happen, other times nothing at all. Moreover, Mercedes regularly has him testing in old Formula 1 cars, to prepare him as well as possible for an eventual move into F1. Yet the most Antonelli would learn from actually participating in Grands Prix.
Vowles keeps Antonelli option open
In that case, the obvious option would be for him to join Williams, replacing Logan Sargeant. James Vowles was asked in Belgium if he was considering sending the American away in favour of the young Italian. "Toto isn't pushing him towards me," the team principal told GPblog and others.
"And my perspective, as I said before, is I'd much rather give Logan every opportunity to succeed and be an ongoing professional racing driver. Where I'm balancing, and the reason why I said not an absolute yes to it, is when we make this car faster, and we will make it faster, I have a responsibility to finish as high up in the championship as possible. And if he [Sargeant] delivers, brilliant. And if he doesn't, then I need to reconsider my options," was Vowles' warning to the American driver.
This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sarkozi