The ‘two big candidates’ most at risk of losing their F1 seats identified
The two drivers most at risk of losing their F1 seats mid-season have been named.
Daniel Ricciardo and Logan Sargeant have been named as “the two big candidates” most at risk of losing their seats during the 2024 F1 season.
That is according to BBC Sport’s F1 correspondent Andrew Benson, who describes Williams’ Sargeant as “looking very much like a driver whose time in F1 is coming to an end”.
Ricciardo, meanwhile, needs to up his performances at Red Bull’s sister team RB “if he is not to risk being replaced by reserve driver Liam Lawson at some point this season”.
Both drivers have come under pressure after their respective difficult starts to the season, which is just six races old.
Benson was responding to a question in his pre-Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Q&A asking him which current drivers are most vulnerable to losing their seats mid-season.
“The two big candidates here are Williams’ Logan Sargeant and RB’s Daniel Ricciardo,” Benson wrote.
“Sargeant is looking very much like a driver whose time in F1 is coming to an end. Unless he turns things around, the only question seems to be whether it will be during the season or at the end of it.
“Williams are said to be keen to replace him before the end of the season with Mercedes protege Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who is racing in Formula 2 for the first time this season.
“But Antonelli is only 17 and at the moment does not qualify for the super licence all drivers need in F1. Senior sources have told BBC Sport that there is next to no chance of the Italian racing in F1 before his 18th birthday, which is on 25 August.
“That means he could be in a Williams by the Dutch or Italian Grands Prix after the summer break.
“However, this plan depends also on Mercedes’ driver strategy, as it’s unlikely Williams would want to take Antonelli for a part-season only for him to move to Mercedes for 2025. So if he drives for Williams this year it is likely to be only if he will also stay for next season.
“As for Ricciardo, he took some pressure off himself with his strong qualifying performance in the sprint in China - which he repeated in Miami - but his overarching level is still below team-mate Yuki Tsunoda’s.
“He needs to change that if he is not to risk being replaced by reserve driver Liam Lawson at some point this season.”
