Another setback for Mick Schumacher: After the German was recently considered a hot candidate for the Formula 1 cockpit at Williams, where Logan Sargeant was on the verge of being eliminated, the F1 racing team has now announced that another driver has won the race for the rest of the season.
The dreams of a (short-term and short-term) return to Formula 1 have been shattered: Mick Schumacher has not been chosen, despite all the speculation that he is a hot candidate to replace the ailing Logan Sargeant at Williams. As Williams announced on Tuesday afternoon, Franco Colapinto will drive for the traditional racing team until the end of the season.
The 21-year-old Colapinto comes from the Williams junior team and was already in the first free practice session in Silverstone in the current F1 car of his new team.
Until now, the Argentinian has been active in Formula 2. Now he will drive in Formula 1 starting next weekend in Monza and then for the rest of the year. Schumacher will take his place in the cockpit of Alpine’s WEC car and will not be at the race track in Italy.
Colapinto spoke of an “honour” to be able to make his Formula 1 debut with Williams. “This is the stuff dreams are made of,” the Argentinian was quoted as saying on the team’s website.
Williams team boss explains driver change in the middle of the Formula 1 season
Williams has “an incredible story and a mission to get back to the top and I can’t wait to be a part of it,” added the 21-year-old.
However, he also stressed that it would not be an easy task to take over Sargeant’s cockpit in the middle of the year. “It requires a huge learning curve, but I am ready for the challenge and am fully focused on working as hard as possible with Alex (Albon) and the team to make it a success,” he explained.
“The decision to replace a driver mid-season was not an easy one, but we believe it gives Williams the best chance of fighting for points later in the season,” said team boss James Vowles, who expects a lot from Colapinto.
“We invest in our young drivers in the Williams Racing Driver Academy and Franco has a fantastic opportunity to show what he is capable of in the final nine races of the season,” said Vowles.
Addressing Sargeant, the team boss said: “This is undoubtedly a tough blow for Logan, who has given his all throughout his time at Williams, and we would like to thank him for his hard work and positive attitude.” Sargeant “remains a talented driver and we will support him in continuing his racing career in the future.”
Williams will compete in Formula 1 next year with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz.
Schumacher’s last hope is Audi/Sauber
Mick Schumacher now has to fight for his last chance for the coming year, which could be at Sauber/Audi. There is still a cockpit available alongside Nico Hülkenberg.
Before the latest Williams decision, the German had already been turned down by Alpine – despite his commitment to the WEC team of the French car manufacturer Renault and despite all hopes. There, they instead relied on Jack Doohan alongside Pierre Gasly.
Source: www.sport.de
