Credits: IMAGO / PanoramiC and IMAGO / HochZwei |
L: Franco Colapinto R: Mick Schumacher

Speculations increased over Logan Sargeant’s uncertain future with Williams after his FP3 crash at the Dutch GP. The team had introduced a crucial upgrade package which all went to waste due to his shunt. That was enough for team boss James Vowles to call time on Sargeant. However, what came as a surprise was the American’s replacement — Franco Colapinto.

The reason behind the news coming as a shocker was the availability of Mick Schumacher. His proximity to Toto Wolff and Mercedes’ partnership with Williams made his case even stronger. Moreover, Schumacher has experience of driving in F1, which one would believe must have been crucial when Vowles was deciding on Sargeant’s replacement.

However, he decided to field Colapinto, who has no experience of racing in F1. That also increases the chances of him spinning or crashing on the track, the exact reason why Sargeant was shown the exit door. This all points to a possible backing from Colapinto’s sponsors, who may have presented a strong case for his promotion from F2 to F1.

According to Marcaenzona.com, the Argentine driver’s list of sponsors includes YPF, Globant, Cerveza Quilmes, FlyBondi, Ripio, BZRP, Visit Argentina, and Celulosa Argentina. While Williams joined this list in 2024, almost all of these sponsors joined Colapinto in 2023, the year he made his F2 debut. Another noteworthy fact is the origin of his sponsors, who are mostly all Argentine national companies.

That does not mean Schumacher has a dearth of sponsors backing him. However, his stint in F1 was far from satisfactory for Haas. Moreover, the reason for his departure was the same as Sargeant’s — crashing too often. There are more reasons which may have played against him other than his own driving skills.

Colapinto’s feeder series track record

Colapinto debuted in F2 in 2023, albeit for just two races in Abu Dhabi. While he failed to score any points then, he finished the F3 season in fourth position with two wins and five podiums. In 2024, until his induction into F1, Colapinto registered three podium finishes including a win and three fastest laps, bagging 96 points to secure sixth position in the championship.

Schumacher, meanwhile, is in his second year away from F1. To keep his racing instincts going, the German signed a deal with Alpine to drive for them in the WEC hypercar category. The French team debuted in the series this year and their inexperience is visible in the results. Resultantly, Schumacher is languishing in 25th in the championship with just one point to his name.

Regardless, Toto Wolff was rooting for him to return to F1 through Williams. Vowles, however, decided against it to play a gamble on Colapinto before Carlos Sainz replaces him in 2025.