34-race F1 driver ‘doesn’t even talk’ to his team principal anymore as relationship ‘cut off’

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As the summer break approaches, several drivers are battling to save their season and indeed their careers. The most notable example is Sergio Perez, whose future could hinge upon his performance at the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend.

This leaves Daniel Ricciardo in a remarkable situation. Ricciardo will be hopeful of securing a return to Red Bull while also fighting to retain his seat at RB under pressure from Liam Lawson and other promising juniors.

Kevin Magnussen, meanwhile, is at risk of losing his spot on the grid altogether. Haas have already announced that he’ll be leaving the team at the end of the season.

Magnussen is enduring a tricky campaign, having scored just five points to teammate Nico Hulkenberg’s 22. He trails the qualifying head-to-head 9-3 and the race-day battle 11-1.

It’s hard to judge the performance of the two scoreless drivers at Sauber because the car is clearly poor. The only real yardstick in this situation is your teammate, and it’s Valtteri Bottas who has had a clear edge on Zhou Guanyu thus far, which casts the future of the Chinese driver into serious doubt.

Logan Sargeant is the other driver yet to notch a point this season. Alex Albon has only managed four in the other car, but his lack of headline results could be costly.

Marcus Ericsson says Logan Sargeant relationship with James Vowles has eroded

Sargeant has shown a couple of flashes of promise lately, not least in Silverstone where he produced season-best results in qualifying (12th) and the race (11th). But Williams may need a driver who can push Albon harder.

The former Red Bull driver has beaten Sargeant in every single Grand Prix qualifying session since the start of last year – one of the longest such streaks in F1 history. And he’s also finished ahead in every race he’s completed this year.

The hierarchy within the team is such that James Vowles allowed Albon to race his teammate’s car in Australia back in March. There was no spare chassis available after the Thai driver crashed in FP1.

Now, former F1 driver Marcus Ericsson has heard that Sargeant and Vowles are hardly on speaking terms. The 34-race talent is having a miserable time of it at Williams.

“I was told by some American friends who know Sargeant [that] he doesn’t have fun in that team,” Ericsson said on the Viaplay F1 Podcast. “He thinks it’s really hard and apparently he and Vowles don’t even talk with each other anymore, they barely greet each other. It’s completely cut off between them.”

The two drivers who could replace Sargeant at Williams

Sargeant may be hurt that Vowles has openly been shopping for replacements. However, the team principal would argue that F1 is a results business and the youngster hasn’t done enough to keep his seat.

Indeed, Vowles has publicly admitted that Williams are considering a line-up change, even midway through the season. There are two standout contenders for 2025.

Williams could sign either Carlos Sainz or Valtteri Bottas, but the two drivers are in different boats. Teams are waiting for Sainz, whereas Bottas is waiting for teams.

If Vowles has the chance to sign the departing Ferrari driver and let Sargeant go, he surely won’t hesitate. Sainz is a veritable F1 A-lister with three race wins and 23 podiums to his name.