F1 pundits agree: Williams should have never re-signed Sargeant
12/24/2024 04:34 AM
Ex-F1 drivers turned commentators, Karun Chandhok and Jolyon Palmer, both agree that re-signing Logan Sargeant for the 2024 F1 season was a misstep by Williams Racing.
Despite scoring only a single point in his rookie campaign in 2023, Sargeant, a member of Williams' driver academy, was retained by the Grove-based outfit for this season.
However, after a series of underwhelming performances and costly crashes, Williams parted ways with the young American at the Italian Grand Prix in September, replacing him with rookie Franco Colapinto before securing the services of Carlos Sainz for 2025.
Both Chandhok and Palmer believe Williams should have taken a different approach from the outset.
Speaking on the Sky F1 podcast, Chandhok expressed confusion over the team's initial decision to retain Sargeant.
"I still don't understand why they re-signed Sargeant for this year," said the Sky F1 analyst.
He went on to suggest that Williams might have explored alternative options, such as Felipe Drugovich, the 2022 Formula 2 champion and Aston Martin reserve driver, to fill the gap in their driver line-up for 2024.
"I personally could have looked at a scenario where they had maybe Felipe Drugovich, for example, or somebody like that, for a year," he added.
Despite the rocky path to securing a stable line-up, Chandhok commended Williams for their eventual coup in acquiring Sainz for 2025.
"In the end, Williams have had an absolute coup, haven't they, getting Carlos Sainz," he noted. "So they are the big winners out of this whole driver market saga. They've got an amazing line-up for next year.
"I think Colapinto, there was a lot of hype and a lot of excitement, because he did a fantastic job early on."
Palmer labels Sargeant's retention a costly error
Echoing Chandhok's sentiment, Palmer criticized Sargeant's continued presence in the team for 2024 as a costly and puzzling choice.
"Sargeant never should have stayed on," the Briton stated on the Chequered Flag podcast.
"Colapinto had flashes of decency and scored some points. But even then, he was never going to be a long-term signing because they already had Sainz.
"So it was a strange appointment that filled the gap but also costs a lot of damage money as well."
Palmer referenced the impressive debut of Colapinto, who scored five points in his first four races and drew interest from top teams like Red Bull and Alpine.
However, Colapinto's stock waned after high-profile crashes in Brazil and Las Vegas, leaving him without a seat for 2025.
Also reflecting on Colapinto's brief tenure, Chandhok remarked: "I think Colapinto, there was a lot of hype and a lot of excitement, because he did a fantastic job early on.
"But obviously, one swallow doesn't a summer make."
As for Sargeant, the 23-year-old is on the verge of a reset of his motorsport career after landing a deal to race in the European le Mans Series where he will compete for IDEC Sport.
The team, co-managed by Genesis, is gearing up for its entry into the Hypercar class of the World Endurance Championship in 2026 – potentially positioning Sargeant for a role in their WEC project.
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