For a long time, it has been evident that Sargeant, 23, is not suitable for Formula 1. Relentlessly crushed by Alex Albon, in an era where Max Verstappen, almost flawless, sets the standard, the Dutchman who is only a few years older than the American made it clear.
If a Formula 1 driver has an accident during a session, especially during Grand Prix races, it is almost always the unlucky Sargeant who, after 30 races in his F1 career, has not shown improvement in the same proportion as McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who was also a rookie last year, just like the Williams driver. The difference between the two is insurmountable.
While Albon had a resurgence as a driver, we cannot forget that Verstappen made him look bad and as a result, he was dismissed after 26 races with the Red Bull team. Although the Thai driver has improved since 2019, when he joined Max, it is important to note that the Dutchman has also made significant progress.
In simpler terms, Sargeant should be giving Albon a hard time, occasionally even beating him. However, this has not happened and is unlikely to happen. Consistency and finishing races with controlled speed are crucial factors for a racing driver. In Formula 1, where there is no room to hide, these factors become even more important.
Sargeant may have been expelled from the team last year, but Vowles, for some reason, kept the faith and allowed him to keep his place at Williams this year.
During the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, Sargeant’s race ended in the barrier at Turn 4 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Vowles informed the reporters, “I believe that in the second year of racing, you can see the confidence starting to build as a result of this, and there is performance there.
“We also didn’t have the cars in the same specifications for an extended period. Part of this is due to previous damages from which we are still recovering, and part of it is because we anticipated updates and simply didn’t have enough to implement them in two cars.”
“He is continuously evolving as an individual, as expected in such circumstances. However, the big question is whether he is reaching the goals I set for him. We need more from him, really, to secure his place in this kind of situation,” explained Vowles.
Under Vowles’ leadership, Williams is optimistic and openly desires Adrian Newey. The same goes for Carlos Sainz, the driver Ferrari let go to make room for Lewis Hamilton to join Charles Leclerc in Maranello.
Sainz has options, but none with one of the top three or four teams. Therefore, he is exploring other possibilities, just like Vowles, who commented on the Spaniard: “He is a capable driver to win races, as he proved last year when he brilliantly defeated Max in Singapore against all odds. He approaches things intelligently, logically, and is incredibly fast.”
Vowles recalled: “The performance he showed in Shanghai this year… It may seem negative, but it’s not… During qualifying, he had an accident, and we have all been in that situation to some extent. It is truly remarkable for an athlete to be able to readjust, get back on track, and surpass his teammate in those conditions.
“I believe this demonstrates how resilient he is as a driver, and any team on the grid would be lucky to have someone like Carlos alongside them. That is something I can say with confidence. Carlos is our top priority,” declared Vowles.
Many people argue that drivers like Sargeant, Nicolas Latifi before him, and currently Lance Stroll are the problem with Formula 1. They have a lot of money, but they don’t have the necessary talent for the sport. This denies true skill the opportunity to compete at the highest level.
It can be argued that Sargeant is one of the least skilled drivers in Formula 1 this century. It’s hard to remember another driver who has kept his place for so long without ever outperforming his teammate in 31 qualifying sessions in which they both participated for the same team. The score is 31-0 in favor of Albon!
As for Sainz… It will be a blow for him to move from Ferrari to Williams. The same goes for a possible move to the Stake F1 Sauber team in 2025, as they are hoping to become Audi in 2026. Nico Hulkenberg is following a similar path. Ironically, the 29-year-old Spaniard has limited better options as the “doors are closed” at Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren.
Mercedes is solely focused on teenager Kimi Antonelli, who is the top choice to be Russell’s partner. However, there is the option of putting the young Italian in Williams for his introduction to Formula 1. In that case, Sainz could be the best choice as a temporary solution for Toto Wolff’s team. It would be a similar path to what George did. (Quotes from Agnes Carlier in Montreal)
© 2024
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