Williams Racing team principal James Vowles has issued a public apology to Mick Schumacher following controversial comments he made regarding Schumacher's qualifications for a Formula 1 seat.
Vowles had stated that Schumacher, currently a reserve driver for Mercedes, was not "special" enough to secure a position on the team, which has now opted for Franco Colapinto instead.
He had initially told the media :
“I think we have to be straightforward about this. Mick isn't special, he would just be good."
Vowles' comment sparked surprise, prompting him to apologize after reviewing his statement the following morning and realizing how it was perceived, he then told the press :
“Where I read the headlines afterwards this morning, what really came across is using the word special in the context of Mick.
“And I really want to clarify what I mean, first and foremost.
“I'm not here to put Mick down. Mick is in a world championship team [Mercedes] who have chosen him as reserve driver.
“And there's good reason behind it. That is because he's an incredibly strong candidate.
“And the word special? I use it in the context of multiple world champions like Ayrton Senna fundamentally, Lewis [Hamilton] as well. Clearly that's a foolish thing to do, because that's the comparison.”
With the decision to fill the seat alongside Alex Albon, Vowles had three candidates: Schumacher, Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson, and Colapinto, who is part of the Williams Academy.
Vowles explained that Lawson was not a viable option due to Red Bull's requirement to have him available for their own team, which could leave Williams without a full lineup during races.
Ultimately, the team chose Colapinto, citing his familiarity with the Williams simulator and his connection to the academy.
Vowles’ remark about Schumacher sparked backlash, leading him to reconsider his words and reach out to Schumacher directly to clarify his stance.
Vowles acknowledged Schumacher's talent and recent progress, noting that he is part of a strong team at Mercedes.
He emphasized that the decision to go with Colapinto was based on the team's commitment to its academy drivers, rather than a reflection of Schumacher's abilities.
He said:
“Here's where Mick is: he's had a tough run of it.
“He's made some exceptional progress, and he's in a very strong team around him.
“Our decision is based on the fact that we want to go with our academy and our drivers.
“I've apologized to Mick as well. He didn't request anything, but it's important to me, because he's incredibly close to me, and it just came across entirely the wrong way.
“So more than anything else, I wanted that to be abundantly clear.
“Don't doubt his abilities, but we as Williams have to go with our Academy. It makes sense what we're doing.”
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