Alex Albon on his teammate’s dismissal: “I know how brutal this sport can be”
The Thai was keen to react to the departure of his American team-mate, who has been replaced for the rest of the season with immediate effect by Argentine Franco Colapinto. A team-mate who always gave his all on the track, according to Albon, who thanks him for all the months he spent with him.
After several weeks of uncertainty, it is now official: Sargeant will no longer be with Williams. Just before the Italian Grand Prix, James Vowles, the team boss from Grove, announced the replacement of the American driver, still struggling this season, by the young Argentine Formula 2 driver Franco Colapinto, a member of the Williams academy. Vowles justified this by explaining that it should give the team the best chance to compete for points for the remainder of the year. A decision that comes after months of speculation.
Many rumors of Sargeant leaving.
Rumors about Sargeant’s departure had started as early as the offseason, after a lackluster first season in F1, finishing in 21st place with just one point scored during the United States Grand Prix in Austin. Nevertheless, James Vowles had decided to extend his contract this season, hoping for a significant performance improvement, progress that unfortunately did not occur and started to worry the entire team.
After the Spa round, the possible ousting of Sargeant had once again been mentioned, but the former Mercedes driver had been very clear: Sargeant deserves to finish the season with Williams while specifying that he had to do better. Last weekend, his accident in the third free practice session was one mistake too many, prompting the team to replace him with immediate effect. Very quickly, his teammate Alex Albon wanted to show his support for Sargeant on social media, aware that this sport can be cruel at times, having experienced the same thing in 2020 when Red Bull decided to replace him with Sergio Perez at the end of the season, forcing him to leave the Formula 1 world for a season.
Albon defends his teammate despite disappointing performances
« I know from experience how brutal this sport can be, and it’s hard to see Logan leave the team halfway through the season,” wrote former Red Bull driver on X. « You gave it your all, my brother, and it’s been a pleasure to be your teammate. I know that whatever you do next, you will be great. » After 36 Grand Prix races together, the collaboration between Albon and Sargeant has now come to an end. It was punctuated by some good results, like a seventh place in Canada and at Monza last year for the Thai driver.
While some well-known names from the paddocks were rumored to join Williams during the last rounds, such as Mick Schumacher, the German currently competing in WEC with Alpine, or Liam Lawson, Helmut Marko not ruling out the possibility of lending his New Zealand driver if an offer was made to him, the British team decided to turn to another rookie, the Argentinian Franco Colapinto, currently a Formula 2 driver.
A surprising choice, but one that underlines Williams’ willingness to trust its young drivers. Racing this season for MP Motorsport, the Argentine is sixth in the Formula 2 championship and notably won the sprint race in Imola.
Sargeant’s future in suspense
Sargeant finds himself without a seat, but could bounce back in IndyCar with the Prema team, a team he already worked with when he was racing in Formula 3 and which has approached him for a possible transfer. This opportunity could reignite his career, as it has been the case for other former F1 drivers.
