Logan Sargeant OUT at Williams, was Franco Colapinto the right choice? | GRID Tonight

after another costly mistake by Logan sergeant in fee practice 3 at xanor that resulted in a heavy crash and fire Williams Racing has decided to part ways with the American driver Formula 2 driver Franco colapinto is being promoted to the Williams F1 driver lineup alongside Alex albon for the remainder of the 2024 Formula 1 season kapino will drive the number 43 car as the Williams Junior driver gets the quick call up to the Pinnacle of Motorsport becoming the first F1 driver from Argentina in 23 years and the second driver to drive for Williams after Carlos rman now team principal James vales said replacing a driver mid-season isn't a decision they take likely but believes it was the right one to give the team the best chance to compete for points for the rest of the season however some are confused as to why they chose colapinto a young driver who was a rookie in F2 Williams could have gone in several different directions to replace sergeant if they wanted someone experienced Mercedes Reserve driver Mick shimaka might have been an option or maybe take Liam Lon on loan from Red Bull which could have helped him get valuable seat Time ahead of him next season but Red Bull probably didn't want to to part with him to close out the 2024 season as they wait to see how Sergio Perez will perform down the stretch one final option that we've talked about on this show for a while was the possibility of Andrea Kimmy Antonelli taking over for sergeant and getting everyone experience ahead of joining the grid full-time in 2025 the graphic courtesy of Williams Racing as well Kobe's back in for this one was it right for let's get straight was it the right time for Williams to move on from Logan sergeant and were you caught off guard by Franco Kino's promotion good evening Josh good evening Matt but yeah when I'm thinking about the situation for Logan Sergeant I'm gonna start off by saying Logan Sergeant should have you know should feel lucky that he got this 2024 Formula 1 season in the first place because there were so many you know different things going around in Formula One circles you know saying that at the end of last season like is Logan Sergeant going to get another year in in Formula One because it seemed like Williams were you know just done with him after the 2023 season then he got this year you know thankfully and then you know to his credit I think he improved a little bit compared to last season but obviously it wasn't enough you know to Warrant his stay toward to the end of the to the 2024 season you know when they went out in s Carlos science we knew from then and there you know Logan Sergeant is going to be out of F1 that's the end of his F1 career because nobody's going to pick him up in 2025 so he's he was definitely going to be outside of Formula One racing somewhere but yeah it's unfortunate situation you know for all us Americans over here because we take a lot of pride in having an American driver on F1 grid and looking where things are right now I have a feeling that it's going to be another long time before we see an an American racing at the P Motorsport fulltime again so really unfortunate situation there so but I'm glad Logan was able to fly the red white and blue there on the world stage while he could and you know I I guess time to move on to the next thing I'm sure we're going to find out in weeks and months ahead where Logan's gonna be racing in 2025 will it be endurance racing will it be in the Indie Car Series will it be Formula E who really knows at this point but I think that Logan will definitely be racing somewhere next year in some type of racing series but yeah I was caught off guard by Franco Kento to be honest Franco Kento wasn't even on my radar you know as potential replacement for Logan sergeant and I think even some members of our team even said that who is Franco Kento so a lot of our and I saw a lot of other people as well like they have no idea who Franco Kento is but I knew who he was you know from watching Formula 2 and Formula 3 you know last year all I think Franco Kento you know given the talent that He has I believe that he is deserving of an F1 seat maybe a maybe a year or two too soon yeah but who who really knows I'm just afraid that you know moving him up to formula one right now could end up hurting his long-term prospects of being in F1 fulltime because here's the thing Franco Kento had no real shot of moving up to the Formula One grid fulltime next year so I'm just very confused why they pick this rookie driver you know in their Williams Racing driver Academy to go up you know when there's really no chance that he's going to be in Formula 1 next year I mean it's good that he's getting a Formula One race experience but I'm just kind of puzzled why they why they chose Kento when they had other options on the table but I'm but after been reading several things from credible media Outlets it really seems like that you know that there that Williams's other options you know just wasn't gonna happen just like Liam Lawson for example you I think we all can agree that Liam Lawson is going to be in form one next year in somewhere form whether it's with the Red Bull singer team or the Visa cash app RB team he's going to be with either one of those organizations but like you said Josh we know Red Bull still don't completely believe in Sergio Perez we don't know if Perez is going to continue to struggle you know as we get as we continue to get out of this summer break and into the second half of the season have a feeling if Sergio Perez you know continues to you know lay goose eggs and not get the points that he should be getting and getting closer to matching Max's Pace we could potentially see you know Perez out of that car at some point later on this season so why would Red Bull want to loan out Liam Lawson to Williams for year because Liam Lawson is going to be the driver that they would need if they move on from Perez so it would not surprise me if we end up seeing Liam Lawson on the GD later this season anyways and then and then Mick sh moer and I saw Toto wolf making some comments saying that he would love for he would love for Mick to get an opportunity to drive this Williams car but unfortunately that just wasn't there I think micke is even racing this weekend and Circ D America is in the World Endurance Championship event without Al but but I believe Mick said that he would make any Formula 1 race weekend a priority over his sports car racing weekend so Unfortunately they didn't go with the experience F1 driver and Sh marer then Josh you said it Kimmy Antonelli we thought we thought that Mercedes would really want to see him you know get some F1 experience before he goes to replace leis Hamilton next year because I think that's probably the worst secet cap in The Paddock right now that Antonelli is gon to be replacing Hamilton at Mercedes next year so Al although I believe that Antonelli should finish out his F2 season I honestly thought if they replace Logan sergeant that they would just cancel the rest of his F2 season you know and just move him up to the Williams C to get some experience head into next year but I am relatively pleased that you know even with this move of Kento it means that Mercedes is not going to rush Antonelli up that they're going to let him finish out the season you know and continue to learn and grow before he's he's on the Big Grid next season well lots of bits to cross off on of this um let's go to Logan first of all as you said Kobe we got to the end of last season and we really quen quite sure if he was going to hang on to that seat at the end of last year and he did he's not managed to lay a glove on Alex albor this year um really at times and over the last couple of races before the summer break and of course this one uh at zanol at the weekend you could see you heard from James veils afterwards you know they had new bits on that car and they didn't even get a chance to run them proberbly because Logan had his free practice free shun and damaged and then torched them uh so it is a shame that you know we've now got again three races in the United States on the calendar and not a single driver to for the home fans to cheer on which is a shame who do we have coming through next probably Jack Crawford is Josh I would I would say from F2 is probably the next person to perhaps go with the American flag on he got a win at Barcelona earlier in the season in a feature really good drive so that's that I just checked the calendar mentioned Mick Schumaker all three of the remaining World Endurance Championship races clash with grand PRI oh so was yeah uh this weekend Kota with Monza Fuji is on the same weekend as Baku and katar is on the same weekend as Brazil Formula One so uh although it's on the Saturday so that's tricky for him to get out of that we talk we've heard a lot about Mercedes and Alpine perhaps doing a deal M MC schumacker is a Mercedes and an Alpine driver at the same time Williams and Mercedes powered maybe that could have been a thing it hasn't come to fruition uh it looked like Liam Lawson was perhaps their number one goto I've seen and heard some things today that may suggest that he may still be on a on the grid later on this year in a Red Bull sponsored car of some thing there's been some stuff come out today that I've seen that uh we may get to later about Red Bull um as we tick past an hour uh but let's get onto the the good news part of this story which is Franco he's not going to be in the car next season because we know they've locked in albon and they've got caros science coming so they needed to fill the Gap so why not go to your top driver Academy driver it makes absolute sense to me um he brings money of course and that's obviously needed the big thing Los Argentina down the side of the car I'm sure at the weekend or or something along those lines um Williams of course not in the same financial position that they were a couple of years ago when they really needed money um I think it's a good move but the the problem as you mentioned Kobe I guess is where does he go from here next year because he could come in and do a really good job over these next what left seven eight races whatever it is but then there's no seats anywhere for him to go um so what does he do then does he go back to F2 for a season and try and win the championship well I asked this question of Glenn Freeman of the race and he said his exact reply to me was I think you won't have any money left ah so and much like Logan Sergeant he's also done some LMP racing so he may then filter off into World Endurance Championship or something like that maybe with with Logan maybe they'll end up being teammates that'll be a weird thing wouldn't they um but I think it's a good move for Williams think it gives it it Bloods another young driver that's what bman been in the car this year colapinto coming up as well couple of other Antonelli of course he's going to get a run on Friday isn't he in the Merc and then uh we all expect him to get the deal he's going to be in free practice at Monza um it it's gonna be where they announce it as well to get all all eyes on Hamilton for Ferrari next year it's going to be right there yeah of course so um that's that what kind of locked away so I'm excited to see what Franco can do he's been good in F2 and F3 over the last couple of seasons and it's much to Kobe's point of oh my goodness who's who's this guy this is why you watch the junior formula and see these people coming up and go ah he's going to be good or she's gonna be good or whatever this is why you don't just watch the big big stuff you watch the junior categories too yeah and also that's why you should watch the great on show on Monday nights at 7 p.m. eastern time absolutely right that was wonderful right you ready for this are you ready for this uh in uh wanting to replace a driver his pressor probably rushed into F1 too soon James vals has after much liberation chosen to rush a drive into F1 to soon yeah in the words of K Penny that's incredible as well coming into it got a couple for you uh if you want to go for this well after being told to be a better man Sergeant ain't got nothing more to bring as he's a boy with the blues compared to Williams angel child albon so after his crash he was told to bag it up bring it down and fade away from Williams Don't Look Back in Anger and keep the dreams alive and take one for the road before going around the world to come home potentially for indie car for 2025 how's that for some might say it's all part of James Val's master plan well done that was that was well done I'm impressed with that I'm very I'm impressed with that you know what I mean [Laughter] yeah oh dear dear dear dear we move on yes yes yes