Mercedes learn ‘only scenario’ where Andrea Kimi Antonelli replaces Logan Sargeant at Williams mid-season

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Mercedes have now learned the ‘only scenario’ in which Williams agree to axe Logan Sargeant and sign Andrea Kimi Antonelli on loan for the rest of the Formula 1 season.

Doubts continue to surround Sargeant as F1 prepares to break up for a mandated two-week summer shutdown. The 23-year-old is out of contract at Williams after the 2024 season and has also now lost the drive. Carlos Sainz will join Williams in 2025 as Alex Albon’s teammate.

Williams team principal James Vowles gave Sargeant every chance to earn another contract before signing Sainz. But the American failed to show enough improvements during the first half of the year to warrant a new deal. Sainz was also free to target ahead of leaving Ferrari.

Williams will only axe Logan Sargeant for Andrea Kimi Antonelli if Mercedes sweeten the deal

Vowles was desperate to see Sargeant cement his name as a Formula 1 driver after Williams promoted their academy product into the pinnacle of motorsport for the 2023 term. Yet the Fort Lauderdale, Florida native has scored just one fortuitous point in F1 since to Albon’s 31.

READ MORE: Williams driver Logan Sargeant’s life outside F1 from height to Donald Trump ties

Sargeant scored his sole point in Formula 1 with P10 in the 2023 United States Grand Prix as a result of the stewards disqualifying Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Williams have also already considered canning Sargeant mid-season before signing Ferrari exile Sainz for 2025.

But Edd Straw of The Race notes ‘I’m sure’ the ‘only scenario’ in which Williams would agree to replace Sargeant mid-season, with Mercedes junior driver Antonelli one option to replace him, is if the deal benefits the Grove natives. Vowles will not drop Sargeant for the sake of it.

Should Mercedes ask Williams if they are interested in taking Antonelli on loan for the rest of this year, Vowles will ask his Silver Arrows counterpart Toto Wolff what the Silver Arrows are prepared to do to facilitate the swap. Otherwise, Sargeant will see out the 2024 F1 season.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has two race wins in his rookie Formula 2 season

Vowles will not simply do Wolff a favour by preparing Antonelli to potentially replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025 by giving the 17-year-old his Formula 1 debut with Williams. The Grove chief will only consider the Italian if he will better their chances of scoring points.

Thanks to Albon scoring four points to Sargeant’s zero so far in 2024, Williams are only ninth in the constructors’ standings. But Alpine in eighth spot are only seven points better off with 10 rounds left. RB and Haas are also within reach in sixth and seventh with 34 and 27 points.

READ MORE: Who is Mercedes academy driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli? Everything to know

Sargeant was also less than 10 seconds away from stealing the final point in the 2024 British Grand Prix from RB’s Yuki Tsunoda at Silverstone, as well. But Antonelli showed his potential at Silverstone, too, as the Bologna boy bagged his first F2 Sprint victory in a stop-start race.

Rain and safety cars meant Antonelli had to continually build his lead at Silverstone en route to his first win as a rookie in Formula 2. A perfect strategy also saw the Prema driver take his first Feature race win at the Hungarian Grand Prix, despite starting from seventh on the grid.

With Antonelli also increasingly likely to replace Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025, Wolff could try to exploit his relationship with Vowles after Williams signed Sainz to replace Sargeant in 2025. But Vowles might be risking a lot on a rookie as Williams look to climb the standings.