Logan Sargeant made his F1 debut in 2023 but just a year later, could be experiencing the harsher side of the sport’s dynamics. The youngster, shouldering the hopes of American fans has so far failed to live up to expectations. Sargeant struggles to impress even in his second year in F1 and reports point towards Williams wanting to replace him with Mercedes prodigy Kimi Antonelli.
As expressed in his latest column, Saward believes Williams is on course to replace Sargeant with Antonelli. He believes the young Mercedes prodigy will start racing in F1 as early as Imola. However, the Grove-based outfit’s desires could face hurdles.
To make this switch happen, Williams will need rule-defying luck on their side. Antonelli isn’t old enough to have a super license until August 25, when he becomes 18 years old. This is the biggest obstruction in Williams’ desire to give the Italian prodigy a racing seat. However, Saward believes that the British team will try to get an exemption from the FIA. This might be the first instance since Max Verstappen that a driver will be allowed to become a part of the traveling circus before turning 18.
Antonelli is already getting a hang of driving an F1 car and a good one at that. The Brackley-based outfit made arrangements to make the young prodigy get some laps in the 2021 W12. He will also get a taste of modern F1 cars as his next runs are scheduled in the 2022 W13.
Toto Wolff reveals plans for Kimi Antonelli
Antonelli is arguably the most exciting driver Mercedes has had on their hands since it entered the sport in 2013. As a result, Toto Wolff is treading lightly, not wanting to hamper his youngster’s development. He wants him to get better while also testing cars in F1, and all the signs point towards an early entry for the 17-year-old in the sport.
As quoted by Motorsport, Wolff admitted that there is a plan in place and has been for quite some time.
“The program to have Kimi drive in Formula 1 has been around for some time and has not changed significantly in recent weeks. We have added some more test days, but what you will see in the coming months is already in place. whether or not he will be in a Formula 1 car next year.”
According to Wolff, it’s a matter of when and not if Antonelli gets in F1. Saward could be on the right track with his assumption or the Mercedes boss could take a bold step and use Antonelli to replace Lewis Hamilton, who leaves for Ferrari in 2025. Per Saward, however, there will be more clarity on the Italian’s future after the upcoming Miami GP.
