Two Formula 1 racing teams each have a cockpit free for 2023. In addition to Haas, where Mick Schumacher is driving for his future, Williams is also looking for a second driver. Schumacher is definitely an option for the traditional team, and the chief engineer has now outlined the desired driver profile. So does Mick fit Williams?
Williams team boss Jost Capito had already revealed in an RTL interview at the beginning of October that the name of Mick Schumacher was also hotly debated in his racing team. “Mick is an option, he deserves to stay in Formula 1,” said Capito clearly.
It is clear that in addition to Schumacher there are other candidates on Williams’ “list” – including Logan Sargeant, one of the internal hopes for young talent.
Around the Japanese Grand Prix, Dave Robson, Williams’ lead vehicle development engineer, has shed some more light on the types of drivers being looked for. “We need someone who drives on an equal footing with Alex Albon every weekend and sits behind him. Ideally, we would like to have a driver who works in the same direction when it comes to car set-up,” says Robson of “auto sprintquoted.
Who drives next to Albon at Williams?
One thing is clear for Williams: “We need two competitive drivers.” Alex Albon is in 19th place in the drivers’ standings for the 2022 season with four points, while his teammate Nicholas Latifi is two points behind.
Robson added that “the speculation about the second driver” would “not worry the racing team in the slightest”. As an engineer, you concentrate “entirely on the competitiveness of the car” anyway. The advantage of Williams lies in the fact that it is “easy” for the drivers to adjust to the car, “as we saw in Monza when Nyck de Vries came on board for Alex”.
In Italy, Albon was out for a short time due to appendicitis, the Dutchman promptly finished ninth and thus recommended himself for a future in Formula 1 – however, he decided on a contract with AlphaTauri.