Williams wants to continue to support Logan Sargeant even after his retirement at the end of the season: As an academy rider you have a responsibility, says Vowles
Even though Logan Sargeant’s Formula 1 retirement is already a done deal, Williams team boss James Vowles wants to continue to support his protégé in the remaining races of the 2024 Formula 1 season – and not just out of self-interest, because the team is of course still fighting for a good position in the world championship
It was announced last week that Carlos Sainz will be Alexander Albon’s new team-mate at Williams in 2025. This also means that there will be no more room for Sargeant and that his Formula 1 career will come to an end at the end of the current season. It is highly unlikely that he will find a job with another team.
Nevertheless, the team wants to do everything it can to recommend Sargeant for other series and put him in the spotlight. After all, the American is still part of the Williams academy and is one of the 20 best drivers in Formula 1 worldwide, as Vowles emphasizes.
“And I hope the recent races have shown the progress he has made with the team,” he says.
However, Sargeant has not always been able to prove his qualities in the premier class. He did not win a qualifying duel against his team-mate Albon in either 2023 or 2024, and he was the first Williams driver to only make it to the finish line when the Thai driver retired
There were therefore repeated rumors about a premature release of the youngster, who had not always had the backing of Vowles. He did not want to give Sargeant a cockpit guarantee and repeatedly emphasized that he had to earn his place because Formula 1 is a meritocracy.
In the meantime, however, Sargeant’s Formula 1 retirement has been sealed. Nevertheless, he can of course still recommend himself for the rest of his career, where he is rumored to be moving to the IndyCar series, for example. Williams intends to support him in the final races of the season, just as they have done in previous years as a junior.
“We have a responsibility to him,” emphasizes Vowles. “He is a professional racing driver and has earned his place in motorsport. We will do everything we can to ensure that he can be a professional racing driver in the rest of his career. “
