FIA's New Teen Driver Rule Could End Sargeant's Season Early
Jun.17 - Former F1 team boss Gunther Steiner thinks it's possible Logan Sargeant could be ousted even before the 2024 season is complete.
The FIA has shown a green-light to teenagers like Kimi Antonelli to make their F1 debuts, nixing a rule that required drivers to be at least 18.
Now, 17-year-olds who have "consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition" can obtain a super license.
Decisions will be made "at the sole discretion of the FIA," the FIA added.
The move follows earlier reports that Mercedes-powered Williams had applied to the governing body for special dispensation to allow Antonelli to take part in official F1 track sessions whilst he's still 17.
The young Italian is hotly tipped to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025, but Antonelli's manager Toto Wolff is rumoured to want to give him real-world F1 experience before then.
Williams boss James Vowles, who is close to Wolff, had admitted in Canada recently that the seat currently occupied by Logan Sargeant is in serious doubt.
"We need more from him, really, to be able to save his seat in that sort of circumstance," he said.
Given the FIA's new stance on 17-year-olds, immediate free practice outings for Antonelli are now possible - but also possible is that he will step into Sargeant's shoes for the rest of the season.
"I think he (Sargeant) will have to leave at the end of the year," former Haas boss Steiner told the Red Flags podcast.
As for a mid-season ousting, he is not so sure.
"First and foremost you try to work with the people you have," said Steiner. "Of course, at some point enough is enough and people ask themselves 'Why are we doing this to ourselves?'
"If he experiences a few more races before the summer break like the one in Canada, it could be that another driver will be in his cockpit after the (summer) break."
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While precisely evaluating outstanding ability is easy, maturity is comparatively harder to evaluate precisely, so FIA needs to be careful not to inadvertently cause double-standard treatment.
As for the other aspects in this article, firstly Williams didn't ask for any of this any more than Mercedes, meaning only his family or otherwise close individuals could've realistically requested in the first place.
Additionally, free practice outings have already been okay for drivers who're yet to turn 18, as doing those sessions doesn't require a standard super license anyway, so this caveated age requirement makes zero difference on this front.
Most importantly, James Vowles made clear in Imola that no driver changes will happen during the season, so while he's publicly said Sargeant to be under threat, he's only referred to a 2025 drive, so people should stop contradicting him & assuming that the age requirement alteration would make a difference in this regard or make him change his mind.
As for the other aspects in this article, firstly Williams didn't ask for any of this any more than Mercedes, meaning only his family or otherwise close individuals could've realistically requested in the first place
Well Torgers his manager and he wants him in the Merc car, so it would make sence Merc asked for it, and the Fia are more likely to adjust the rules for Merc rather than adjust them for his family, as Merc would be paying for his super licence anyway if he goes into the Merc car dont you think, it just makes sence it was them to me..!!, Sure Torgers denied it, but he would, as part of the contract game
Toto wouldn't have made clear in Miami that they haven't requested anything if they actually had, so nothing about a contract game but simply being honest as lying publicly would get caught out anyway & show an individual in a bad light.
FIA of course adjusted the requirement for everyone generally, i.e., everyone who has at least 40 license points before turning 18 can become eligible at any point from the 17th birthday until the day before the 18th birthday if the necessary criteria are met.
Oh yeah your probably right, Managers never tell porkies do they lol
Good point