Martin Brundle calls for F1 team to ditch driver who is 'costing them a fortune'
Martin Brundle has called on Williams to make a mid-season driver change, with Mick Schumacher and Liam Lawson waiting in the wings.
Martin Brundle has urged Williams to axe crash-prone driver Logan Sargeant before the end of the F1 season. The American already knows he is being replaced for 2025 after the Grove outfit managed to sign Carlos Sainz, who was left without a drive for next year due to Lewis Hamilton’s impending move to Ferrari.
It was a surprise to many that Sargeant was kept on by Williams after an underwhelming 2023 campaign. And he has fared little better in his second season at motorsport's top table.
Sargeant has been routinely outpaced by team-mate Alex Albon in both qualifying and races. Of more concern to the team has been his habit of crashing, and he had another major incident in the final practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
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In wet conditions, the 23-year-old dipped a front wheel on the grass and speared into a nearby barrier, causing huge damage to his car, which burst into flames.
The crash ruled Sargeant, who escaped unharmed, out of qualifying, although the Williams mechanics did complete the extensive repair job for him to take part in the race. With nine grand prixs left after Zandvoort, Sky Sports commentator Brundle says Williams may not be able to afford to keep Sargeant on as he isn’t challenging for points and is costing the team too much money in crash damage.
Mick Schumacher, formally of Haas, and Liam Lawson, who is on Red Bull's roster and has driven for its second team RB, have been mooted as potential replacements for the rest of 2024. Brundle told Sky Sports: “The problem is, they’re not getting the results.
"Logan’s not scoring points for them. He’s costing them a fortune in repairs. And if you’re making replacement parts, you’re not making development parts. All your resources are going into just keeping two cars on the track.
“It’s difficult times for the team. What do you do about it? The Contract Recognition Board is where all contracts are placed. There are contracts and sponsorships in place. You can’t just change your drivers around.
“But Williams must look at this situation now and think, ‘we can’t afford to keep running Logan Sargeant through the rest of this season’.”
During his pre-race grid walk, Brundle caught a word with Sargeant, who reported that his repaired car was in working order. The former F2 star thanked the team over the radio for putting it back together before lights out.
