Williams mid-season driver swap not excluded hints Vowles

Williams team principal James Vowles has acknowledged that the time is nearing for the British outfit to decide its future driver line-up, but suggests that there might even be a change as soon as this summer.

While Alex Albon's future with the team is secure thanks to his recent multi-year contract extension, the same cannot be said for his teammate Logan Sargeant.

The American’s performance in his sophomore season has fallen short of expectations, putting his seat clearly at risk.

Williams has tabled on offer for Carlos Sainz’s services, but the outgoing Ferrari driver appears to be in no rush to make a call on where he’ll be racing in 2025 and beyond.

Speaking at Silverstone on Friday, Vowles was queried on Sargeant’s prospects and on the team's driver market targets.

• Read also: Sainz back in the mix with Mercedes for 2025

“Logan all the way through has been provided [with] the opportunity to retain his seat – that’s in his control,” Vowles told Sky Sports F1.

“I need performance that’s at Alex’s level, I need him to be there day in and day out, fundamentally.

“We also have a responsibility into why he hasn’t been there. There’s been several races where we have not provided the right equipment, simply because of attrition. That’s not been the case for quite a few… Well, several races now.

“But still, that’s on us as a responsibility. His is, ‘When you have it, we need you right up there’, pushing the team forward, fundamentally.

“He knows that, he wants to perform, he wants to be there, and I want to give him every opportunity he can.”

Vowles' comments also hinted at a potential driver change even before 2025, fueled by speculation that F2 racer Kimi Antonelli, backed by Williams' engine supplier Mercedes, could be on the fast track to a Formula 1 debut.

“There will be a line in the sand where we have to make a decision and at that point, both for 2025 and maybe for something this year, we’ll make a decision on it,” he said. “But we’re not there today.

“My priority at the moment is, let’s sort out the car, because we’ve underperformed in that area. Not Logan, not Alex.

“Once we have a car at the right performance level, then let’s assess what we’re costing ourselves, if we are costing ourselves.”

With Williams currently sitting in ninth place in the constructors' standings and Sargeant contributing just one point to the team's total, a decision regarding his future seems inevitable.

Whether it comes sooner or later, one thing is certain: time is running out for the young American driver to save his seat at Williams and his future in Formula 1.

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