Sargeant is in his second season in F1 but has failed to improve as expected in 2024.
Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli has been heavily linked with graduating into motorsport’s premier class next season.
The Italian gained his first taste of F1 machinery with tests in a 2021-spec Mercedes at the Red Bull Ring and Imola in recent weeks.
However, sources within the FIA have confirmed to Speedcafe that there are attempts to quickly promote him onto the F1 grid.
A Super Licence dispensation has been submitted to the FIA, with the understood intend that he will take the place of Sargeant at Williams.
Team boss James Vowles did his best to avoid answering the question when it was put to him on Friday in Miami.
“We have far bigger problems to solve than drivers,” he began.
“Alex has done championship level drives and at the moment, he’s not scoring points.
“Fundamentally, we have it on us to improve our car going forward. That’s my primary concern more than anything else.
“There are options on the table, but it is far too early to tell.
“In the sense of Kimi, you have to remember it’s just 20 months ago, he was in a Formula 4 car. That’s a large, large step up into a Formula 1 car in such a short space of time.
“I haven’t spoken to Kimi since Abu Dhabi last year. Hopefully that puts it in context,” he added.
“I know nothing about what’s going on [with] Mercedes’ tests right now.
“We are looking, as everyone else is, for where we want to be on driver line-up for next year and we have our own young driver programme.
“In the case of Kimi, I can’t really adjudicate at the level he’s at.
“In case of him coming into the car this year, I’ve always said from the beginning, it’s a meritocracy. Logan has to earn his seat.
“At the moment, he has some tough targets where he has to get much closer to Alex, but there was nothing on the radar at the moment for replacing him.”
When questioned by Speedcafe regarding any dispensation request for Antonelli were met with a terse response from Williams, which also failed to deny an involvement. Subsequent enquires went unanswered.
At 17, Antonelli does not meet the minimum age for a Super Licence, which the FIA set after Max Verstappen’s F1 debut as a 16-year-old.
The Italian turns 18 on the Sunday of the Dutch Grand Prix in late August, meaning he could be on the grid for the Italian Grand Prix a week later without FIA dispensation.
The intent of getting the teenager on the grid early is to assess him ahead of a potential berth at Mercedes alongside George Russell in 2025.
Mercedes has an opening courtesy of Lewis Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari.
Antonelli has been a front-runner for the drive; however, concerns surrounding his youth and inexperience exist.
Placing him at Williams replicates the approach taken with Russell himself, who spent three years with the Grove squad.
With half a season in F1, it offers Mercedes an opportunity to assess Antonelli and make a more informed decision about its driver line-up.
It’s a benefit for Antonelli, too, as it expedites his own development, while for Williams, it presents an opportunity to field a higher-calibre youngster alongside Alex Albon.
Discussion about this post