Ted Kravitz says Logan Sargeant could be replaced mid-season at Williams by current F1 rival

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The future of Logan Sargeant has been a hot topic in the F1 paddock after the American has so far failed to match teammate Alex Albon’s results on track.

Team principal James Vowles has previously hinted that his future could be on the line, having previously stated that he must match Albon in qualifying to prevent him from being replaced.

Sargeant has been hampered by having an older specification of the FW46 which is heavier than the car Albon had with less performance parts, but since the Spanish Grand Prix the pair effectively had the same car.

At the Austrian Grand Prix, Sargeant was within a tenth of Albon’s time but failed to make it past Q1. He has qualified in 12th place at the British GP, having managed to progress into Q2. His best time was within 1.5 seconds of Albon in tricky wet-to-dry conditions.

Despite his uptake in performance, his seat could be under threat from another driver on the grid according to Ted Kravitz on Sky Sports.

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Logan Sargeant’s seat under threat

With such an active driver market, teams are looking to position themselves with the best possible chance of having the best talent in their car.

Several drivers are still available on the market as they are out of contract at the end of the season, with one recent driver at Alpine potentially being an option for Williams should they want to make a mid-season swap according to Kravitz.

“Who could replace Logan Sargeant mid-season? Could it be the likes of Kimi Antonelli? Unlikely it looks like Mercedes wants him to finish his F2 season, could it be the likes of Jack Doohan or Liam Lawson? It’s unlikely for that,” said Kravitz.

“What is being rumoured about the paddock, is that Alpine could suggest an early release for Esteban Ocon who could go to replace Logan Sargeant, Alpine could get Doohan in for an early debut ahead of a potential full-time drive next year, and that could be the swap to enable Williams to have an experienced hand in Ocon in the car for the rest of the season if they decide not to continue with Sargeant.”

Who could replace Logan Sargeant?

Ocon’s services becoming available recently could enable Williams to exploit an early exit clause, considering his manager Toto Wolff was looking at a move away from Alpine earlier this season anyway.

Williams would gain an experienced hand in Ocon and could potentially score crucial points in their battle for seventh in the Constructors’ Championship, which is worth millions of dollars in prize money at the end of the season.

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Valtteri Bottas also appears to be an option for the team, having previously worked with Vowles at Mercedes and his chances of staying at Sauber dwindle. Mick Schumacher is another potential left-field choice, something former F1 driver Timo Glock was not opposed to.

If Sargeant can continue to get close to Albon and score points before the summer break, then replacing him might be harder for Williams to justify. But as it stands, the American is still fighting for his seat despite improving his form as of late.