Williams have sacked Logan Sargeant with immediate effect and replaced him with Franco Colapinto ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix. It comes after the American driver crashed heavily in practice at Zandvoort to plunge his future into serious doubt.
It was reported last weekend that Williams had lost patience with Sargeant and would replace him with another driver for the rest of the season. He was already due to leave the team at the end of 2024, with Carlos Sainz coming in to partner Alex Albon next year.
The news of Sargeant’s dismissal was announced on Tuesday, with Williams confirming that Colapinto will step in for the final nine races of the campaign. He will become the first Argentine driver to race in F1 for 23 years when he takes to the track at Monza this weekend.
Williams team principal James Vowles said in a statement: “To replace a driver mid-season is not a decision we have taken lightly, but we believe this gives Williams the best chance to compete for points over the remainder of the season.
“We have just brought a large upgrade to the car and need to maximise every points-scoring opportunity in a remarkably tight midfield battle. We also believe in investing in our young drivers in the Williams Racing Driver Academy.
“Franco is getting a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate what he is capable of across the final nine rounds of the season. This is undoubtedly incredibly tough on Logan, who has given his all throughout his time with Williams, and we want to thank him for all his hard work and positive attitude.
“Logan remains a talented driver and we will support him to continue his racing career for the future. I know that Franco has great speed and huge potential, and we look forward to seeing what he can do in Formula One.”
Colapinto has impressed with his consistent displays in Formula Two this season and has already taken part in two FP1 sessions. He will be hoping to make the most of his opportunity at Williams to put himself in the shop window for a full-time seat in the future.
“It is an honour to be making my Formula One debut with Williams,” he said. “This is what dreams are made of. The team has such amazing history and a mission to get back to the front which I can’t wait to be part of.
“Coming into F1 mid-season will be an enormous learning curve, but I am up for the challenge and I’m fully focused on working as hard as I can with Alex and the team to make it a success.”
