Ralf Schumacher Hits Out At 'Absurd' Williams Move Ahead Of Italian GP - 'Doesn't Make Sense'

Chris Ladd | Aug 29, 2024

Jun 19, 2022; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Haas Team driver Mick Schumacher of Germany discusses with his engineer on the starting grid before the Montreal Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports / David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

Logan Sargeant faced increasing pressure to retain his Williams seat, especially with the confirmation that three-time F1 race winner Carlos Sainz would replace him in 2025. The 2024 Dutch Grand Prix turned out to be Sargeant's final race, as Williams made the decision to part ways with him mid-season. Franco Colapinto will step in to fill Sargeant's seat for the remainder of the 2024 season, starting with the Italian Grand Prix.

Sargeant's future with Williams became increasingly uncertain after he crashed the upgraded Williams FW46 heavily during the final practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix, forcing him to miss qualifying. This incident fueled speculation that Williams might look to make a change, with Red Bull reserve Liam Lawson and Mercedes reserve Mick Schumacher being mentioned as potential replacements.

Ultimately, Williams opted to replace Sargeant but chose to promote their junior driver, Franco Colapinto, instead of the more experienced options. Colapinto, who has been contesting his rookie Formula 2 campaign, has shown promise with a victory and two runner-up finishes.

Ralf Schumacher, former F1 driver and Mick Schumacher's uncle, has expressed his strong disagreement with Williams' decision to choose Franco Colapinto over Mick for the remainder of the 2024 season. Ralf believes that when it comes to "performance," it's "absurd" that Williams opted for the less experienced Colapinto instead of Mick, who has more experience in F1 and could have been a more reliable choice for the team.

“You can perhaps respect this decision because Colapinto is a driver from Williams’ junior programme. But from a performance point of view, I think it’s absurd and doesn’t make sense,” Ralf is quoted by Planet F1 as having told the German Press Agency.

“I think the risk for the racing team and the driver is much, much higher than if they had brought in someone with experience like Mick.”

Mick Schumacher raced with Haas during the 2021 and 2022 F1 seasons, but after being replaced by Nico Hulkenberg for 2023, he has struggled to secure another spot on the F1 grid. Since then, Mick has taken on the role of reserve driver for Mercedes and has also been involved with Alpine’s endurance racing program.

Ralf Schumacher believes that Mick is still suffering the consequences of his time at Haas, particularly for taking "too long" to outperform his then-team-mate, Kevin Magnussen. This slower development, according to Ralf, may have contributed to teams overlooking Mick for a full-time F1 seat, despite his subsequent experience and potential.

“You have to be fair enough to admit that it simply took Mick too long in his second season at Haas to find his feet and get to grips with his team-mate,” said Ralf. “Formula 1 is not forgiving.”