James Vowles WARNING could mean big things for Mick Schumacher

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Vowles WARNING could mean big things for Schumacher

Williams team principal has advice for F1 rookie as others look to take his seat

Lauren Sneath

Friday 15 September 2023 09:12

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James Vowles has issued what appears to be a warning to Logan Sargeant as the Williams driver struggles to make an impression on track.

Sargeant is a rookie driver this year, and is yet to score a point for Williams after 14 races.

By contrast, fellow F1 rookie Oscar Piastri has scored 36 points this year with McLaren, in his first season on the grid. While this may have a little to do with the impressive progress made on the McLaren car, Piastri has been praised by many for his hard work.

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Sargeant’s team-mate Alex Albon, who has been with Williams since 2022, has put in strong performances at many races this season, pulling in 21 points for the team.

Vowles has now said that he’s told Sargeant he must ‘earn’ his place in F1, and has suggested that he keeps ‘moving forward relative to Alex’.

Ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, Vowles said: “The comments I’ve given him is this, it’s a meritocracy, you’re not here just because we want you to be here, you have to earn your place, this is the pinnacle of motorsport.

“And what I’m asking of you is follow this general guidance, follow this development path, keeping moving forward relative to Alex, and there is a place for you here with your name on it.

“Before then there are points with your name on it. Some were available at Zandvoort… earn those. It’s how you earn your pathway into Formula 1.”

A space for Mick?

When asked about the future of both drivers, Vowles was certain of Albon's future but seemed unsure of Sargeant's place in the team.

He said: “In terms of where we are now, you have to be working in the way of the drivers and understanding where they are.

"Alex is here for the long term, I can tell you that already. In terms of where Logan is, he is on the right path to developing, he has to just keep stepping it up race on race.”

The hesitancy of Vowles to confirm that Sargeant has a space with the team next year could bode well for Mick Schumacher, who is currently a reserve driver for Mercedes.

Schumacher is sure to be strategising a way to return to a full-time driver’s seat in 2024, after being dropped from Haas last season.

With Schumacher currently at Mercedes, Williams would be natural fit for his return.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who worked with Vowles at Mercedes for many years, has insisted that Schumacher ‘deserves’ to be back on the grid.