Alex Albon reacted to significant changes at Williams Racing on Tuesday, following the firing of teammate Logan Sargeant.
After a major shakeup amid a turbulent season, Alex Albon will welcome a new face in the Williams Racing garage.
After being relegated to the F1 basement, Logan Sargeant was brutally fired mid-season and was replaced by Italian F2 star Franco Colapinto. Albon has since released a statement expressing his support for his leaving teammate.
Albon posted on Twitter, saying, “It’s tough to see Logan leave the team mid-season & I know firsthand how brutal this sport can be.” “You gave it everything you had, brother, and working with you as a teammate has been a pleasure. You’ll be amazing at whatever you do next, I’m sure.”
Until recently, Sargeant—who was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, outside of Miami—was the only American competing in Formula 1. At the age of eight, he started his racing career in karting. In the 2016–17 Formula 4 UAE Championship, he debuted in a single-seater with Team Motopark.
Sargeant signed with Williams’ Driver Academy in 2021, and during the postseason at the Yas Marina Circuit, he would make his Formula 1 car debut. After completing his F2 training, Sargeant was chosen to succeed Nicholas Latifi, who quit the team in 2022 and hasn’t raced since.
Sargeant had only one driver point in 2023 and finished dead last among all full-time Formula 1 drivers, so the top-tier promotion wasn’t without its challenges. Sargeant struggled once more in 2024, finishing in a tie for last place in Formula One with Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, and putting pressure on Williams to find a replacement.
In a statement, Williams team principal James Vowles said, “We believe this gives Williams the best chance to compete for points over the remainder of the season, but replacing a driver mid-season is not a decision we have taken lightly.”
“We recently upgraded the car significantly, and in an extremely close midfield battle, we must take advantage of every chance to score points. Additionally, we support the Williams Racing Driver Academy as an investment in our future drivers.
“During the last nine rounds of the season, Franco will have a great chance to show off his abilities. Logan has given his all during his time with Williams, so we want to thank him for all of his hard work and positive attitude. However, we understand that this is extremely tough for Logan. Logan is still a very skilled driver, and we will help him pursue his racing career in the future. I am aware of Franco’s incredible speed and potential, and we are eager to watch what he can accomplish in Formula One.”
Making history the next time out, Colapinto, Sargeant’s replacement, will be the first Argentine to compete in the competition since 2001 when he slips into his Formula 1 car. With a win at the May FIA Formula 2 round in Imola and nine top-5 finishes in 20 starts so far, Colapinto has proven to be one of the best drivers in the sport this year.
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