Schumacher is still regarded by many as the greatest Formula 1 driver of all-time; however, when it comes to the statistics, that accolade is Hamilton’s.

Whilst they’ve both claimed seven world titles, Hamilton leads the way in F1 when it comes to victories and pole positions.

The 39-year-old has 103 victories and 104 pole positions to his name, putting him clear of everybody.

It should be noted, though, that he hasn’t won a race since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

READ: Charles Leclerc picked as shock Lewis Hamilton replacement

In terms of race wins, Schumacher is second on the list, courtesy of winning 91 races during his F1 career.

For Vowles, Hamilton just has “so much natural talent”, with him having previously had the mentality of “I’m going to win the race”.

His mentality has been forced to change since Mercedes were toppled from the top spot by Red Bull; however, Vowles has insisted that the Stevenage-born driver has adjusted superbly.

Vowles revealed that Hamilton has accepted that not every race is winnable and that he is always working with the team and helping improve them on their bad days.

“Lewis [Hamilton] when he joined us, was and still is today, within my Mercedes career, the most naturally talented driver that I had worked with including Michael [Schumacher],” Vowles said on the High Performance Podcast.

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“Just so much natural talent. The journey we took him on was it isn’t we’ll win championships together.

“His mentality at the time when he joined was a brilliant one, I can see why he’s successful but it was I’m going to win every race at all costs, I don’t care what the cost is, I’m going to win that race.

“If you speak to him today, it’s migrated to he accepts that the second-places and the third-places are how you win the championship and building and working with the team on the days when you can’t win the race will give you far more reward than pushing everyone away in order to win that single race out of it.”

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Sargeant’s rookie campaign was a very difficult one, as the American driver took a considerable amount of time to settle into the sport.

This was highlighted by his tendency to crash, with Williams having spent £3.4 million this year repairing his car.

It’s a staggering sum that the rookie has racked up, especially as his salary is more than four times less than the figure.

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According to RacingNews365.com, Sargeant earned just £820,000 in 2023, a miniscule amount compared to Max Verstappen, who was paid £40 million by Red Bull, excluding bonuses.

The Williams driver is actually the only member of the 2023 grid yet to be confirmed for 2024, as a result of team principal James Vowles wanting to take his time to make a decision.

Most expect the young driver to be given a second season to prove himself; however, Vowles has revealed that no matter what decision is reached, Sargeant will “always remain” as part of the Williams Academy.

“Whatever happens Logan has been part of the Williams Academy for many years, and will always remain a part of our academy, and he is a quick driver, but if we step away from that – if you look at the last five races on how he has improved and is stepping forward,” Vowles told F1 TV, as per Crash.net.

“You can see signs that what he is doing is what he needs to earn the seat, but we aren’t in a position to confirm that. We’re proud of the steps he has made this season.”

Sargeant did actually show very good pace in the closing rounds of 2023, with him having progressed to Q3 at the recent Las Vegas Grand Prix.

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The American driver did also score a point at the United States Grand Prix, which helped Williams beat AlphaTauri to seventh in the Constructors’ Championship.

He just crashed too often during his debut campaign, something which is far from ideal for a team like Williams who don’t have the biggest of budgets.

Should Sargeant be retained, then he’ll need to cut out his habit of crashing at most events.

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Sargeant’s performance in his first season has drawn attention to the necessity of sufficient testing and preparation for rookie drivers.

James Vowles, the head of the Williams team, acknowledges that Sargeant’s struggle during his debut season can partly be attributed to the limited testing mileage he was afforded. 

Vowles stated, “We’ve put him there, and we’ve given him nearly no testing mileage. I’m used to 30,000km, not 850.” 

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Logan Sargeant is in alignment with Vowles’ analysis, emphasising the importance of adequate preparation for newcomers to the sport. 

Many pundits and insiders in the Formula 1 community now concur that Williams is likely to extend Sargeant’s tenure to provide him with the necessary experience.

Sargeant expressed his views on the matter, noting, “The ideal would be to have more kilometres as it’s the best way to prepare.” 

He highlighted that in the past, legendary drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso had the advantage of extensive testing opportunities in Formula 1. 

However, the current landscape presents a different scenario, with limited testing time available to drivers.

The American driver acknowledged the significance of testing opportunities with modern Formula 1 cars. 

He stated, “Now, whenever you test, it’s with a previous-generation car, and that makes a difference. 

“But even if I had had more days in the winter with any car, it would have been better.”

Despite the challenges he has faced during his debut season, Sargeant remains confident in the support of his team. 

Williams has chosen to delay the decision on Sargeant’s contract extension until after the 2023 season, underscoring their commitment to his development.

Sargeant expressed his gratitude for the team’s support, saying, “They know what happens behind the scenes, and they want me to be successful. 

“The team supports me, so I don’t care what the rest say.” 

READ: Lewis Hamilton speaks out on Toto Wolff’s absence

He recognises that experience is a valuable asset in Formula 1 but also believes in his ability to adapt and improve.

The young American driver is determined to learn from his experiences and eliminate the minor mistakes that have characterised his debut season. 

He added, “Experience always helps, but I have people to talk to as I try to adjust the way I approach each situation to put an end to the small mistakes I’m making.”

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Fry is joining the Grove-based team after departing Alpine following the Belgian Grand Prix, alongside Otmar Szafnauer and Alan Permane.

He held the CTO role at Alpine from 2022, with him set to become William’s first CTO since 2019.

Williams haven’t had anyone fill the role since Paddy Lowe left in 2019, with the signing of Fry to take the CTO role showing Williams’ intent to make progress.

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Vowles is excited for Fry’s arrival and is looking forward to not having to manage the position himself, as everything is starting to come together for the outfit ahead of 2024.

“Definitely counting down the days. As much as I have tried my best, I need someone who is far better than me in that role,” Vowles said, as reported by the official F1 website.

“We’ve brought together a really good group of individuals at Williams, and we are working together. In part, I have sadness because I have to start letting go of that side of things. With 2024 though, the dye is pretty much set in the direction of travel.

“This chassis will already, by the time he comes through the door, be most of the way produced. It has to be. That’s what the timelines are for these things, which means you define some of the big elements to things.

“The aero package again will be most of the way through development, even though it’s going to be for next year. But the impact – and I’ve said it all along – I’m not interested in short term, I’m interested in the long term. So, he will already, in the 2024 season, have a positive effect but that real effect will kick in in ’25, ’26, [2027].”

Vowles has led Williams tremendously since replacing Jost Capito, who departed following the conclusion of the 2022 season.

READ: Red Bull warn Aston Martin about trying to steal their driver

In what is his first job as a team principal, Vowles has helped Williams progress up the leaderboard, with the British side currently sitting seventh in the Constructors’ Championship.

Keeping hold of P7 for the remainder of the season will be a huge accomplishment for Williams who have often found themselves towards the back in recent years, although Alex Albon has put in some excellent results to move the side into the midfield.

Vowles has to take a lot of credit for getting Williams into P7 and onto a genuine path where progress can be made, something which didn’t look possible a few years ago.

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The team is meticulously assessing whether Sargeant’s debut season has seen the required progression to warrant another year behind the wheel.

Despite showcasing glimpses of impressive speed during his rookie campaign, Sargeant has yet to earn a single championship point and has encountered a series of unfortunate accidents along the way. 

However, team principal James Vowles remains unwavering in his support for the young talent, reaffirming the possibility of their continued partnership in the upcoming season.

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Following another incident at the Japanese Grand Prix, Vowles clarified that there was no hurry to make a decision and emphasised affording Sargeant ample opportunities to demonstrate his capabilities. 

Vowles stated, “I suspect it’ll be to the end of the season. 

“I think we’ve already committed to the direction of travel we’re in. 

“He has targets to hit, and it’d be wrong to go against that decision point. 

“So end of the year.”

Vowles underlined the team’s willingness to exercise patience with Sargeant, citing the potential that the young driver has displayed.

Williams Racing believes that Sargeant’s primary challenge lies in maintaining consistency and delivering complete race weekends. 

Vowles explained, “The pace is there. 

“That’s the thing that we wouldn’t be able to fix or repair. 

“But what happens is, when it comes down to the crunch time, there are elements of inconsistency that creep in, and in the form of that, goes into an accident sometimes.”

The team is dedicated to helping Sargeant progress and refine his performance, considering their responsibility to nurture rookie drivers. 

Despite the limited testing mileage, Williams aims for continuous improvement and consistency to yield favorable results.

Vowles also pinpointed a specific moment in Sargeant’s F1 journey that may have inadvertently contributed to his challenges. 

During the Bahrain Grand Prix, Sargeant impressively matched Lando Norris’ qualifying time in Q1. However, he failed to advance to Q2 due to Norris setting his lap time earlier. 

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Vowles believes that this initial success may have given Sargeant a false sense of security, making it more challenging to handle subsequent difficulties.

“Probably the worst thing that can happen [was] he went into Bahrain and overlapped with Lando in terms of Q1,” said Vowles. 

“He thought perhaps the challenge in front of him may not be as significant as it really is.”

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Sargeant’s eventful weekend at the Suzuka circuit saw him involved in multiple incidents. 

He crashed during qualifying after touching the grass into the final corner and later retired from the race after colliding with Valtteri Bottas. 

Despite a pit stop to replace the front wing, Williams observed that the damage to his car was worsening and made the difficult decision to retire the car.

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This unfortunate turn of events marked the 15th Formula 1 race in Sargeant’s career where he left a grand prix weekend without earning any points. 

With rumours circulating that his rookie seat is in jeopardy, reports suggest that Felipe Drugovich is in discussions with the team, while Liam Lawson and Mick Schumacher are also potential contenders.

For now, Williams is maintaining faith in their American rookie, and Team Principal James Vowles has stated that Sargeant has until the end of the season to “prove” himself.

Offering a vote of confidence in Sargeant’s abilities, Dave Robson acknowledged that the crashes have garnered the most attention, but they should not overshadow his overall performance. 

Robson stated, “I guess inevitably they catch the headlines, don’t they, and they’re obviously visible. 

“I think it had kind of masked his steady performance, and this weekend was actually going really well.”

Robson continued to praise Sargeant’s performance, particularly at the challenging Suzuka circuit. 

“It is such a difficult circuit to come to and find the lap time, and we he went about it really well on Friday, built on that yesterday, and then to lose it in the very last corner on the first lap,” Robson explained. 

“It was quite a minor mistake, it’s just at that corner, once you touch the grass, you’re in a whole heap of trouble. 

“It’s a real shame but I think it is fair that the crashes, since Zandvoort, have masked what has clearly been some steady improvement.”

However, Sargeant’s crashes have not only affected his performance but have also taken a toll on the Williams team, as they were forced to replace numerous parts following his qualifying incident, resulting in a penalty for effectively running a third car.

Robson outlined the extensive repairs, saying, “Almost everything. 

Essentially a spare power unit, previously used one, so no additional penalties. Spare gearbox, same thing, a previously used one.” 

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Despite these challenges, Robson expressed confidence that the team would manage their resources effectively. 

“We’ve got enough parts around us, it just becomes a bit of a logistical exercise; how many do we want to actually ship on the circuit; what do we send on to the next; what do we send back to the UK.”

With six races remaining in the season, Williams currently sits seventh in the Constructors’ Championship with 21 points, all contributed by Alex Albon. 

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However, his team principal at Williams, James Vowles, firmly believes that Sargeant deserves the remainder of the season to demonstrate his Formula 1 mettle, despite the growing pressure to eliminate errors that could jeopardise his race seat – the last unconfirmed spot on the 2024 grid.

Williams’ Team Performance boss, Dave Robson, concedes that Sargeant’s crashes have had repercussions beyond the racetrack. 

The team now faces a shortage of spare parts for the final six grands prix of the current season, forcing them to utilise pre-existing components.

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Robson remarked, “We are now using parts that have already been manufactured. 

“That may mean we have to use old specifications for one part or another. 

“The logistics and freight of how we get spare parts to the individual race tracks on this overseas tour is also more difficult.”

Vowles acknowledges that the strain on spare parts is partly attributed to Williams’ own constraints. 

He revealed, “Our production facilities are at the same level as they were 20 years ago. 

“We currently only have two autoclaves running for carbon fibre parts. 

“To refresh the inventory of parts to the latest specification, we would have to outsource orders. 

“That takes time and three times as much money.”

However, Vowles emphasized the importance of channeling resources wisely, stating, “I want that, but it’s better to put money into the cars for 2024 and 2025.”

When questioned about Logan Sargeant’s performance, Vowles expressed patience and belief in the young American driver. 

He asserted, “Logan deserves this. 

“It’s his first year in Formula 1. 

“Others had two years and had accidents in the second season too. 

“Formula 1 is a difficult business for rookies. 

“They can hardly prepare for it and have to learn on the front line.”

Vowles also pointed out promising indicators that suggest Sargeant possesses the potential to excel in Formula 1. 

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“He did the three practice sessions at Suzuka as I would hope from him,” he noted. 

“In his Q1 lap, he was almost exactly as fast as Alex up until the accident. 

“That shows that he has the speed.”

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Ralf Schumacher, who has been closely monitoring the young American driver’s struggles, suggests that Felipe Drugovich and Mick Schumacher are among the potential candidates to replace Sargeant in the upcoming season.

Logan Sargeant has faced a challenging season, failing to secure any championship points and accumulating crash damage throughout the year. 

His team boss, James Vowles, has issued a stern ultimatum, giving Sargeant until the end of the season to prove himself. 

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Beyond that point, uncertainty looms regarding who will partner with Alex Albon for the 2024 season.

Sargeant’s prospects of retaining his seat at Williams suffered a significant setback during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend when he was involved in two separate crashes. 

The first crash during qualifying resulted in extensive damage, leading to a penalty for Williams. 

The second incident during the race ultimately forced the team to retire the car due to unseen damage that worsened over time.

Ralf Schumacher attributes Sargeant’s struggles to a sense of being overwhelmed and trying too hard on the track, which has led to costly mistakes. 

Schumacher observed, “Sargeant is overwhelmed, which is why he causes the accidents. 

“He tries force, he despairs a bit, but it just doesn’t work with violence.”

In place of Sargeant, Ralf Schumacher expresses a desire to see his nephew, Mick Schumacher, take the Williams seat. 

He believes that Mick could outperform Sargeant, despite challenging circumstances in his Formula 1 debut. 

Schumacher remarks, “I definitely believe that he would do a better job than Logan Sargeant.”

Schumacher acknowledges that Mick faced difficulties in his first year in Formula 1, partnering with another rookie, Nikita Mazepin, in a car that was not truly competitive. 

However, Schumacher contends that Mick’s performance improved significantly over the following season, reaching a level comparable to his then-teammate Kevin Magnussen.

READ: Carlos Sainz fired number 1 driver warning at Ferrari

Ralf Schumacher identified Felipe Drugovich as the leading candidate to replace Sargeant in the Williams team. Drugovich, currently serving as Aston Martin’s reserve driver, comes with significant financial backing. 

Despite finishing fourth in the 2022 Formula 2 championship, behind Théo Pourchaire and Liam Lawson, Drugovich was chosen as a reserve driver by Williams when Sargeant was promoted.

According to SPORT1, Drugovich is the clear favorite to step into Sargeant’s shoes if Williams decides not to continue with the 22-year-old American driver. 

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Sargeant’s unfortunate mishap occurred when he lost control of his Williams car at the final corner, resulting in an extensive crash that thwarted his qualifying attempt.

The ‘107 per cent’ rule in Formula 1 stipulates that drivers must set a qualifying time within 107 per cent of the quickest time recorded in Q1. 

Falling short of this requirement, Sargeant faced the prospect of seeking permission from the race stewards to participate in the race. 

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Fortunately for the young driver, his request was granted, albeit with the condition that he would start from the back of the grid.

An official statement clarified the decision, stating, “In accordance with Article 39.4 of the FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations, the stewards grant permission for Car 2, Logan Sargeant, to start the race, as the driver has set satisfactory times in practice at this event.”

Sargeant, who is battling to secure his Formula 1 future, expressed his frustration following the crash and his failure to set a qualifying time. 

Reflecting on the incident, he explained, “I just lost the rear on the exit of the last corner, and the grass creeps up on you quickly there as it comes back towards you.” 

Despite the setback, he acknowledged the need to move forward, saying, “Yeah, it’s a tough one. 

“I just need to put it behind me. 

“What can you do? 

“It’s over with. 

“I feel like it was a pretty good day to that point. 

“I feel like I’ve been pretty quick and was pretty much where I needed to be. 

“Just another small mistake, hugely costly.”

The implications of Sargeant’s crash extend beyond his own racing aspirations to his team, Williams. 

Team principal James Vowles noted that the incident could have a ripple effect on the team’s car development for the remainder of the season. 

Vowles explained, “For a number of races, Logan has been on an old aerodynamic package in a number of ways – actually, a bit of a hybrid.” 

He attributed this choice to the challenges of sourcing parts as the season progresses. 

Under the cost cap regulations, teams aim to avoid overproduction of parts.

READ: Max Verstappen tells rivals to be worried

Vowles added, “We’ve had more attrition than expected, I think it’s fair to say. 

“We have enough parts to deal with this accident as it is today, but it will mean that we have to divert attention away from other items in order to produce more spare parts before we get to the end of the year. 

“In terms of what happens overnight, though, we’ll have plenty to be able to rebuild the car.”

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Alpine’s interim team boss, Bruno Famin, confirmed discussions with the 24-year-old Mercedes reserve driver regarding a potential deal that would see Schumacher race in the new Alpine hypercar in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and at Le Mans.

Famin stated at Suzuka, “We are talking with Mick about this opportunity. 

“It would be a good opportunity for both parties, but for the time being, we are just talking, and hopefully, we will organise a test soon.”

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However, amidst these talks, there were persistent rumours circulating in the Japanese Grand Prix paddock on Sunday that a deal had already been finalised. 

Austrian broadcaster ORF confronted Mick Schumacher with the news, claiming that the Alpine contract was “now official.”

Schumacher, appearing somewhat puzzled, responded after a momentary pause, saying, “Uh – nothing is official.” 

When asked about when he could make it official, Schumacher asserted, “Well, I’ll share that from my side. 

“It will probably take a while until then. 

READ: Oscar Piastri’s mother rejects McLaren offer

“But of course, I have to look at my options, and of course, there are discussions.”

Schumacher was initially hoping to return to the Formula 1 grid in 2024 but, with little movement in the driver market, it has proved challenging for him to find a seat.

It was initially suggested he could make the move to Williams but, with the team principal James Vowles stating he will stick with Logan Sargeant, that door has closed.

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