James Vowles shares what he said to Logan Sargeant in recent talks after Williams axe

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Logan Sargeant is assessing his options after losing his Williams seat at the end of last month. James Vowles opted to sack Sargeant midway through the season after an underwhelming 18 months.

Vowles openly acknowledged that Sargeant was under threat before Abu Dhabi. The team considered a change at the end of his rookie year but gave him another chance to prove himself.

The American wasn’t able to take it. He lost out to teammate Alex Albon in every single Grand Prix qualifying session, and every race that both drivers finished.

Vowles could have tolerated that if Sargeant was one or two places behind. But he was frequently in a different race entirely.

And what’s more, he ran up a hefty repair bill for a team that has struggled with a shortage of parts. He crashed at the Japanese and Canadian Grands Pix before a decisive accident at the Dutch GP in a heavily upgraded car.

Williams had already signed Carlos Sainz to replace Sargeant for 2025 but his short-term position within the team became untenable. There was no clear benefit to keeping him, and the cost was obvious.

James Vowles helping Williams academy driver Logan Sargeant secure seat in series outside of F1

Speaking on the Fast and the Curious podcast, Vowles shared details of his communication with Sargeant since his ruthless decision. He insists that the team are still invested in the 23-year-old’s fortunes.

He remains on their books as an academy driver and they want to help him succeed in another series. To that end, Vowles asked him during talks last week what progress he had made in finalising his 2025 plans.

He was seen attending the Music City Grand Prix, the IndyCar season finale in Nashville. A permanent return to his homeland appears the likeliest outcome.

Former F1 driver Marcus Ericsson stated in July, having spoken to someone close to the situation, that Vowles and Sargeant no longer had a relationship. Both sides have denied these claims.

“I spoke to him Friday,” Vowles said. “He’s out in the US. Hopefully that also shows what he means to the team. I’ve said it pretty openly.

“He remains a part of our academy. And I want him to be successful as a professional racing driver. In that is, where is he, what are the teams we’re talking to, what’s going on here?

“He was on his way to IndyCar that weekend. It’s the point at which you have to pull people like that in closer, not further away from you.”

Lewis Hamilton’s ‘amazing’ verdict on Franco Colapinto

Vowles has had to make several big calls in 2024 as he tries to restore Williams as a force in F1. At the outset, he overhauled their way of working, leading to a slow start to the season and supply chain delays.

Then, in Australia, he benched Sargeant after a heavy crash for Albon in practice. There was no spare chassis available, so Vowles went with the driver he felt could extract the most from their sole remaining car.

The biggest gamble of all wasn’t dropping Sargeant, but hiring Franco Colapinto as his replacement. Colapinto had performed well in F2 but there certainly weren’t any guarantees that he’d be an upgrade.

In the end, Vowles’ confidence was justified. Colapinto won ‘amazing’ praise from Lewis Hamilton after scoring four vital points at the Azerbaijan GP, more than Sargeant managed in his entire Williams career.