Logan Sargeant is done. His fiery crash in FP3 at Zandvoort was the last straw for Williams, who are reportedly on the lookout to axe him after the Dutch GP today. Alpine WEC driver Mick Schumacher is the best prospect to replace the struggling American. But this would be a very absurd mid-season swap because the German himself wasn’t any better than Sargeant when he drove for Haas from 2021 to 2022.

Carrying the burden of being 7x champ Michael Schumacher‘s son, Mick couldn’t handle the F1 pressure with Haas. Like Sargeant, his two years were filled with crashes that cost the American team around $3.35 million in reparations (as per Crash.net). But he is still the lesser of two evils. Sargeant has cost Williams nearly $5 million in 1.5 years.

After the 23-year-old American’s FP3 crash, which was his fourth of the year, Team Principal James Vowles was furious. “Hundreds of hours were invested in the update, it looks like it’s working, but there are only a few of them in the world,” he told Sky F1. “The worst part is when you’ve just introduced it and it ends up crashing into the wall on the track,” he dismally added.

According to F1 Insider, James Vowles is now indeed considering a short-term replacement for Sargeant starting from the next race at the Italian GP in Monza. And according to the murmurs, Schumacher Jr. is in the running.

But this still doesn’t explain why Schumacher is the favorite. Why isn’t Lewis Hamilton‘s successor Andrea Kimi Antonelli being given half a year of F1 experience before his debut in 2025? If not him, even Red Bull’s proven talent, Liam Lawson, might be available. But here’s why Schumacher has the best argument.

Sky F1 expert explains why Mick Schumacher trumps Kimi Antonelli and Liam Lawson for Williams swap

After Guenther Steiner axed Mick Schumacher from Haas, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff saved the German. He hired Schumacher as a reserve driver for the Silver Arrows. Soon after, McLaren made an agreement with Mercedes, making Schumacher a common reserve driver for both teams. So the 25-year-old knows the Mercedes engine (which McLaren and Williams use) like the back of his hand.

Apart from this, Sky F1’s Craig Slater also reveals why Williams is averse to putting Antonelli or Lawson alongside Alex Albon. “Could Kimi Antonelli be allowed into that seat to give him F1 practice before his year at Mercedes? I understand there is zero interest from Mercedes in putting Antonelli into the Williams,” he said.

Slater also explained how Lawson’s Red Bull ties could complicate a smooth swap. “It is also tricky for Williams to put Liam Lawson in there, who is part of the Red Bull program. Mick Schumacher, given his contractual availability, is perhaps the likeliest driver if Williams decide to switch out Sargeant,” he concluded in favor of the Alpine driver.

If Williams indeed puts Schumacher in their FW46, this would be his best shot at auditioning for the vacant Audi seat. The Italian GP would be his first test – a track where Williams could have an edge because of the upgrades and their straight-line speed. He has to prove himself in what will probably be his second and final shot at excelling in F1.