Logan Sargeant is yet to be announced as a Williams driver for 2023, especially as he struggled in his first Formula One practice session
Friday’s drivers got a taste of how difficult modern Formula One is to master in the first free practice session for the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. One of the five young men trying to prove their talent at the Circuit of The Americas was Logan Sargeant, a 21-year-old local hero from the U.S.
Sargeant sat in the Williams of Nicholas Latifi, whose cockpit will become vacant in 2023, and is considered one of the hottest candidates to succeed the Canadian. However, he struggled in practice in Austin. After 23 laps, he was 19th, 3.469 seconds behind Carlos Sainz’s best time and 1.903 seconds behind regular driver Alexander Albon.
“It was honestly very different from what I expected,” he admits – despite all the preparation in the simulator. “The way the car reacts is very different to Formula 2. Super responsive in the fast sections and extremely good on the brakes.” He also said he was “quite surprised by the performance. “
Sargeant and Antonio Giovinazzi (Haas), who both fancy their chances of sitting in a regular cockpit in 2023, took the last two places in the first practice session in Austin. For Giovinazzi, the session was over after just three laps following a crash. No recommendation for higher tasks.
Praise from Capito: “Everything done right “
But according to Williams team boss Jost Capito, Sargeant “did everything right”, as the German explained in an interview with ‘Sky’: “The pressure for him here was of course enormous. The first time in a free practice session, and then in front of a home crowd, that is of course extremely difficult,” he says in defence of his young driver.
Capito notes: “Of course you could tell he was nervous. But then, when he gets into the car, you don’t notice that any more. And he did everything he was supposed to do. We are happy with him.” Sargeant also stresses that he has “learned a lot” and still has some “room to go. “
Why no announcement is planned
The big question: has this punched the American’s ticket to 2023? According to social media reports, Capito had already announced a driver announcement this weekend on Thursday. A hoax, as Capito now emphasises: “I didn’t say a driver would be announced. But rather something will be announced by the driver.”
A Sargeant confirmation for 2023 would have been illogical, after all, it is not yet clear whether the youngster will even be allowed to drive Formula 1 next year. To do so, he must finish the Formula 2 championship in at least fifth position (or sixth if he remains without penalty points) in order to collect the necessary super licence points.
Sargeant is currently third overall in the championship, but the field is close together. “I need a good weekend in Abu Dhabi to secure the super licence. That’s the main goal at the moment,” he says. Asked what his Formula One chances are now, he only replies, “I don’t know.”
So it seems that the door is not quite shut for Mick Schumacher at Williams. The German is not considered the favourite for the cockpit by the trade media. But according to Capito, “at the moment there is still quite a lot open”. Especially as his team is not under time pressure because there is allegedly no danger of Sargeant being snatched away by the competition.
