Logan Sargeant’s brutal axing shows James Vowles is right man to lead Williams

Picture this: Lewis Hamilton crashes his car beyond repair for Mercedes during FP1 at the Australian Grand Prix.

Upon realising the extent of the damage done to the seven-time world champion’s W15, Toto Wolff then turns to George Russell and informs the Mercedes star that he will be giving up his seat for Hamilton to drive for the rest of the weekend.

All hell would break loose.

Yet that is exactly the decision that James Vowles has made for Williams – and it is without a shadow of a doubt the right call to make.

James Vowles key to Williams F1 future

Admittedly, Alex Albon is not of the same calibre as Hamilton, nor is Logan Sargeant and Russell, yet the rationale behind the decision is identical.

Vowles has categorically told Sargeant that he is simply not on Albon’s level when behind the wheel of the FW46. A brutal truth for the American to have driven home in the form of such a black and white decision.

The argument, should one have been put forward from Sargeant, would undeniably have been that ‘He crashed his car and I did not’.

Yet Albon single-handedly led Williams to a P7 finish in the constructors’ standings last year, their best result in six seasons. The 27-year-old was responsible for all but a single point of their total 28 point-haul.

Sargeant was of course in his rookie season, but even his solitary point at the United States Grand Prix arose due to Hamilton and Charles Leclerc being disqualified from the race.

Despite the anger and injustice that Sargeant must no doubt be feeling, the 23-year-old has swallowed his pride and insisted he will do whatever is best for the team.

“This is the hardest moment I can remember in my career and it’s absolutely not easy,” Sargeant said in an official team statement.

“I am however completely here for the team and will continue to contribute in any way that I can this weekend to maximise what we can do.”

Vowles, meanwhile, made it clear that Williams simply cannot have a repeat of their Australian nightmare if they want to compete further up the field.

“It’s unacceptable in modern day Formula 1 not to have a spare chassis,” the Williams chief said. “But it is a reflection of how behind we were in the winter period and an illustration of why we need to go through significant change in order to get ourselves in a better position for the future.”

Mercedes influence rubbing off on Vowles

Prior to his move to Williams, the 44-year-old team principal was a key component of Mercedes’ dominance of the sport under Wolff.

Once seen as the natural successor to Wolff at Mercedes, Vowles is acutely aware of what it takes to bring the good times back to Williams.

He has not been shy in admitting the obstacles that lie ahead of the Grove-based outfit, namely the sizeable financial disparity between Williams and the likes of Mercedes, but decisions such as these show that he is willing to be ruthless and relentless in his pursuit of success.

Regardless of what happens in Melbourne, Vowles has made the right decision. Even if Albon should damage the car beyond repair in FP3 or qualifying ahead of the race, you cannot fault him for the thought process behind the switch.

You simply cannot sit by as a team principal and watch as Albon – who in your own words has it within them to be a future F1 champion – sits out of the race.

It is a brutal decision, but one that should remind Williams that Vowles has exactly what is needed to get them back to where they belong.