Logan Sargeant was released by the Williams F1 squad after the Dutch Grand Prix, and Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto was brought in to replace him.

Williams team principal James Vowles has indicated that the team parted company with Sargeant after concluding he had hit his limit in terms of what could be achieved at the team.

 

Sargeant was dropped by Williams following last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, ending his F1 career with the Grove-based team.

 

The American driver struggled during his time at the team, with his final F1 weekend at Zandvoort featuring a massive shunt during Friday practice.

Sargeant had already faced uncertainties about his future during his rookie season, but he was kept because Vowles saw potential for a better second term.

“The cleanest point to have done it would have been at the beginning of the year,” Vowles told RacingNews365. “At the end of last year, Logan was closing in on Alex by a tenth.

 

“It was encouraging to watch his growth, and if it continues, I believe we will have a very strong driver this year. It did not seem like the correct time to cut and sever ties as a result of it.

 

“So the rationale now is simple: we’ve had enough experience to know that he’s reached his maximum potential.

 

“In fact, it’s almost unfair on him furthermore to continue with him.”

 

Vowles saw a ‘difficult relationship’ developing.

Sargeant was already leaving Williams after the team announced earlier this month that Carlos Sainz would partner Alex Albon next year.

 

With a string of disappointing finishes leading up to his final races at Williams, Vowles claimed that keeping him on board would have made for a difficult end to the campaign for both parties.

 

“He absolutely never from a human perspective did anything but give me 100 per cent of what he was able to do,” claimed the politician.

 

“But everyone understands where he is in terms of his limits right now.

 

“The relationship will only get more difficult over the next nine races because he understands what his future holds, which is not to be in Formula One.

 

“A clean break at this point appears to be the best option for all parties involved. everything feels fair to Logan – he won’t feel that way today, but he will later reflect on how fair everything was to him.