Williams F1 team principal James Vowles has apologised to Mick Schumacher for remarks that did not go unnoticed on Friday at Monza, a few days after the announcement that Logan Sargeant would be replaced by Franco Colapinto for the remainder of the season at the Grove team.
The news of the Argentinian’s starting role, who is also a member of Williams’ junior programme, surprised many people as Schumacher and Liam Lawson were generally seen as the two most interesting options. Asked to discuss the reasons behind this choice, Vowles did not mince his words this Friday in front of the press.
“If we look at the options that were available to us, there were three, which you’ve all guessed. One was Liam Lawson, one was Mick and the third was Franco. With Liam, the contractual position at Red Bull wouldn’t have worked with me here at Williams, so it wasn’t an option for us in those circumstances.”
“Then it’s a tough choice, really, between Mick [et Franco]. […] I think both can be categorized as ‘good’ and ‘not special’. I think we need to be clear about that. Mick is not special, he is just good. I think he would have come in with a lot more experience than Franco. […] And the future of Williams is not about investing in the past, it’s about investing in the talent that allows us to move forward.”
Strong words that immediately resonated with the public and the media, leading in particular Toto Wolff, director of the Mercedes team of which Mick Schumacher is a reserve and of which Vowles was the chief strategist until 2022, to declare Friday to Sky Sports: “Obviously I’ve known James for many years, he’s a strategist. Sometimes he says things too directly. It’s a statement he could have done without.”
“Mick has won everything there is to win, from F4 to F2 to F3, and of course he has worked in an environment [particulier]with Günther [Steiner chez Haas en 2021 et 2022] which is very hard, and maybe it wasn’t what he needed to develop as a driver. That’s why he deserved this chance. If you don’t give it to him, don’t comment, leave people alone. That’s my opinion.”
I’m not here to put Mick down.
Faced with the reactions provoked by his words, Vowles was keen to clarify his position to F1 TV: “When I read the headlines this morning, what stood out was the use of the word ‘special’ in reference to Mick. And I really want to clarify what I mean. D“First and foremost, I’m not here to put Mick down.”
“Mick is part of a World Champion team that has chosen him as their reserve driver. And there are good reasons for that. It’s because he’s an incredibly strong candidate. And the word ‘special’? I use it in reference to multiple World Champions like Ayrton Senna, basically, and Lewis Hamilton. [Hamilton] also. It’s clearly a stupid thing to do.”
“That’s where Mick is: he’s had a difficult time. He’s made exceptional progress and he’s got a very strong team around him. Our decision [de choisir Colapinto] is based on the fact that we want to move forward with our academy and our drivers.”
“I also apologised to Mick. He didn’t demand anything, but it’s important to me, because he’s incredibly close to me, and I expressed myself badly. I just wanted to make it very clear. Don’t doubt his abilities, but for Williams, we have to rely on our academy. What we’re doing makes sense.”
With Filip Cleeren and Jonathan Noble
