Williams replace Logan Sargeant with Franco Colapinto for remainder of 2024 F1 season | F1 News

Williams have replaced Logan Sargeant with Franco Colapinto for the remaining nine rounds of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

Sargeant’s second season in Formula 1 has been cut short ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, where Colapinto will make his competitive debut having previously driven for Williams in practice at the British Grand Prix in July.

Williams had already confirmed Sargeant would be permanently replaced by outgoing Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz to partner Alex Albon next season, but the 23-year-old American’s huge crash in final practice at the Dutch Grand Prix appears to have been the final straw in hastening his exit.

Sargeant failed to score a point this season and leaves the F1 grid with just one point from 36 races. Albon has scored 31 points during that period.

Colapinto, 21, is a member of the Williams Racing Driver Academy and made his FP1 debut in this year’s FW46 at the British Grand Prix.

His F2 campaign this year has seen him secure a race win in Imola and podium finishes in the Barcelona and Austria Feature races, as well as seven further points-scoring outings.

“It is an honour to be making my Formula 1 debut with Williams – this is what dreams are made of,” Colapinto said.

“The team has such amazing history and a mission to get back to the front which I can’t wait to be part of.

“Coming into F1 mid-season will be an enormous learning curve but I am up for the challenge, and I’m fully focused on working as hard as I can with Alex and the team to make it a success.”

James Vowles, Williams team principal said: “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,” he added. “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.

“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.”

Chandhok: Holland crash was last straw for Sargeant

Sky Sports’ Karun Chandhok believes Sargeant’s crash in the Netherlands was the final straw and is not surprised to see Williams replacing him with Colapinto.

“I can’t say I’m massively surprised, to be honest and unfortunately for Logan, the story has been building as the season went on,” Chandhok said.

“As soon as Williams announced Carlos Sainz for next year, there wasn’t really a future for Logan at the team.

“They’ve given him 18 months to deliver the results, and unfortunately he hasn’t been. I think there’s a lot of focus on the accident he had in the Netherlands over the weekend, but I think this is something that’s been building up for some time and maybe that was just the straw that broke the camel’s back for the team.”

Colapinto will be the first Argentine driver in F1 for 23 years, and comes into it with solid pedigree after impressing in the junior formula.

“The country has a history in the sport, of course. We used to have the Grand Prix running out in Buenos Aires, you’ve got great names like Carlos Reutemann, 12-time Grand Prix winner, so there is a history of Argentina being in F1, but not for a long time,” Chandhok continued.

“So it’s a big story, not just for him but for his country as well, after 23 years. He’s got Italian heritage, so making his debut in Monza, I’m sure is going to be pretty special for him.

“He’s currently sixth in the F2 points standings, so he’s having a pretty solid season. In fact, he’s ahead of both Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Behrman, who we expect to be in F1 next year. So I think as a rookie, he’s having a very solid season.

“He’s won a race earlier this year in Imola so he comes into it with pretty solid pedigree in the junior formula. But F1 is different.

“And I think for Williams, there’s two separate things going on. Their short-term future, I guess, is sorted with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon running with the team for the next two seasons. But in the medium term, those two drivers might move on.

“So I think they’ve taken the opportunity to use the very short term, i.e. the rest of this season, to promote Colapinto, give him some F1 experience, just throw him into the deep end, see how he gets on. And if nothing else, he’ll go back to doing F2 next year. But at least he’s got some F1 mileage under his belt.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Italian GP schedule

Thursday August 29
2pm: Drivers’ Press Conference

Friday August 30
8.30am: F3 Practice
9.55am: F2 Practice
12pm: Italian GP Practice One (session starts 12.30am)
1.55pm: F3 Qualifying
2.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3.45pm: Italian GP Practice Two (session starts 4pm)
5.15pm: The F1 Show

Saturday August 31
8.25am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: Italian GP Practice Three (session starts 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: Italian GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: ITALIAN GP QUALIFYING*
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday September 1
7:30am: F3 Feature Race
9am: F2 Feature Race
11am: Porsche Supercup
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Italian GP build-up
2pm: The ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Italian GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

*also live on Sky Sports Main Event

The 2024 Formula 1 season continues with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime