Why Williams opted to replace Sargeant with Colapinto immediately

Sargeant has struggled to match Albon throughout his career at Williams. After the summer break, the American returned to the cockpit but crashed heavily in FP3 at the Dutch GP. It was a costly mistake, as he was driving with the upgrades. Williams have, therefore, decided to push Sargeant aside and replace him with Franco Colapinto for the Italian Grand Prix onwards.

Why did Williams make the change?

Vowles has commented and explained why Williams wanted to change drivers. “To replace a driver mid-season is not a decision we have taken lightly, but we believe this gives Williams the best chance to compete for points over the remainder of the season. We have just brought a large upgrade to the car and need to maximise every points-scoring opportunity in a remarkably tight midfield battle," Vowles said.

Why did Williams select Colapinto?

Williams had some options available. This included Liam Lawson. Christian Horner gave the green light for the Red Bull junior to make the move over to the team for the rest of 2024, but Williams opted for a driver in their own team.  

"We also believe in investing in our young drivers in the Williams Racing Driver Academy, and Franco is getting a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate what he is capable of across the final nine rounds of the season," Vowles added.

"This is undoubtedly incredibly tough on Logan, who has given his all throughout his time with Williams, and we want to thank him for all his hard work and positive attitude. Logan remains a talented driver and we will support him to continue his racing career for the future. I know that Franco has great speed and huge potential, and we look forward to seeing what he can do in Formula 1," the Williams boss concluded.