‘He isn’t special’: Team boss’ brutal Schumacher swipe

Mick Schumacher was overlooked to replace Logan Sargeant at Williams because he “isn’t special”, according to team principal James Vowles.
The stinging comment comes as Argentinian Franco Colapinto, a Williams academy driver, was confirmed to replace the dumped American for the rest of the season, beginning with this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.
Having struggled to be competitive in his season-and-a-half in Formula 1, Sargeant’s firey crash during Saturday practice for last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.
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Speaking to media in Monza, Vowles explained the three candidates were between Schumacher, the son of seven-time world champion Michael, Red Bull junior driver Liam Lawson, and Colapinto.
Mick Schumacher at the Dutch Grand Prix. NurPhoto via Getty Images
He said the contractual requirements Red Bull had to loan Lawson didn’t work for the team, which left a “tough choice” between Colapinto and Schumacher.
“The decision is do we put Mick in the car? I think Mick would have done a good job,” Vowles said.
“Or, do we invest in an individual that’s a part of our academy, that’s done hundreds to thousands of laps in our simulator, that’s driven the car, and on the data that we can see from how he’s performing, who’s making significant steps?
“I think both would fall into a category of good and not special. I think we have to be straightforward about this.
Williams team principal James Vowles. Getty
“Mick isn’t special, he would just be good.”
Schumacher spent two seasons at Haas in 2021-2022, but struggled for consistency and suffered several massive crashes. He had only two points finishes, in back-to-back races in Great Britain and Austria in 2022.
Has spent the past year and a half as a reserve driver for Mercedes, and is also competing for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship.
But it wasn’t enough to score a second chance at F1.
“Mick has improved a lot from where he was in Haas, there is no doubt about it,” Vowles said.
“He’s a competent driver … (and) he has done incredible work with Alpine, with Mercedes and with McLaren in the meantime.”
Mercedes youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli, long-tipped to replace Lewis Hamilton at the team next season, endured a tough day in his first official F1 outing.
Driving George Russell’s car, he crashed at the fast Parabolica corner at the end of just his fourth timed lap.