James Vowles explains ‘painful’ decision Williams must make and it’s not Logan Sargeant

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James Vowles has opened up on the ‘painful’ decision that Williams must make as it risks creating a ‘weakness’ in Grove, but it is not the team dropping Logan Sargeant.

The 23-year-old seems increasingly likely to leave Williams when his contract expires at the end of the season. Sargeant has struggled to adapt to F1 over the past two years and Vowles is publicly courting a replacement. Williams long to have a driver who can match Alex Albon.

Vowles has made public attempts to convince Carlos Sainz to join Williams ahead of the 29-year-old leavening Ferrari. He has even been open in wanting to see Valtteri Bottas return to Williams as the 34-year-old is out of contract at Sauber. But Vowles also has a larger picture.

James Vowles admits Williams must let go of their history to be a success in F1 again

Williams are likely to move on from Sargeant, who could switch to IndyCar, as the American is losing 9-2 to Albon for Grand Prix results, 11-0 in qualifying and 4-0 for points this season. But Vowles says Williams need vast changes in Grove to be a successful team in F1 again.

Just Ferrari (15), McLaren (12) and Mercedes (9) have taken more drivers to Formula 1 titles than Williams (7) have. The Grove squad have also won the second-most constructors’ titles so far with nine to Ferrari’s 16. But Williams last won a teams’ title and drivers’ during 1997.

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Now, if Williams are to return to the front of Formula 1 – having also only taken one podium since 2017 – Vowles believes they must ‘change everything’ as holding on to their past risks creating weaknesses. Williams’ last pole position also came at the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix.

Vowles told Motor Sport Magazine: “There’s a balance to be struck by Williams. I am proud of what they’ve achieved [and] their history. But that’s history and we have to do things our way with modern techniques.

“So, holding on to what we did can create a weakness. We have to change everything, and that means letting go of some of [the] methods and systems we’ve had in place for a long time. And that’s painful because they have led to success.”

Williams have fallen a long way from their glory days in the 1980s and 1990s

Jacques Villeneuve was the last driver to win a Formula 1 world championship at Williams in 1997 when they also won the constructors’ title. The Grove team also took Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet Sr, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost and Damon Hill to the top of the world.

But the modern world of Formula 1 has often left Williams behind – except for in 2014 after Claire Williams, the daughter of founder Sir Frank Williams, made a deal to drop Renault for Mercedes power units. She got Williams the best engines as F1 embraced V6 turbo-hybrids.

Felipe Massa sealed Williams pole at the Red Bull Ring in 2014 and combined with Bottas to make nine podiums. They claimed another four podiums in 2015, as well, but Williams have only made the 2016 Canadian GP, 2017 Azerbaijan GP and 2021 Belgian GP podiums since.