Having scored just one point since making his F1 debut in 2023, Logan Sargeant‘s future in the sport is coming under increasing threat. Williams wants a more stable driver pairing for the future, for which Carlos Sainz has been heavily tipped to partner up with Alex Albon. Since this puts Sargeant on the brink of exit, Juan Pablo Montoya calls for the American to start evaluating his options outside of F1.
Montoya feels that Sargeant knows he won’t continue in the pinnacle of motorsports. As quoted by Planet F1, the former F1 driver said,
“If I were him, I would first talk to everyone to see whether there is interest from another team. But I would also start looking at IndyCar, WEC, and other options for next year.”
Making a mark in F3 and F2, Sargeant’s F1 career hasn’t gone according to plan. Last year, he scored just point (at his home race in Austin) compared to Albon’s 27. And this season too, he has been heavily outperformed by the Thai-British driver.
James Vowles says Logan Sargeant’s seat at Williams is “at risk” unless he steps up his performance against team-mate Alex Albon
Vowles also confirmed that Williams is talking to “a few other drivers” about 2025 ️
Should Williams drop Sargeant? #F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/45Ap9WXNow
— Autosport (@autosport) May 18, 2024
Not scoring points isn’t the only worry for Williams, a team looking to make big strides. The 23-year-old’s reckless driving resulted in a $4.3 million damage bill for the Grove-based outfit. Furthermore, it made them compromise on the team’s performance.
Logan Sargeant’s damages halted Williams’ progress
With millions spent on damage costs, Williams was unable to bring upgrades to Sargeant’s car in 2023. The cost cap limits the teams’ budgets, and Williams had to make do with upgrades fitted on just one car. As such, their points tally took a major hit, resulting in them finishing P7, nearly 100 points behind Alpine in sixth.
RED FLAG
Logan Sargeant runs straight on at Les Combes
“I couldn’t turn” he tells his Williams team #BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/vcULxmcfIz
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 28, 2023
Amid consistently poor performances from Logan Sargeant, Williams seems to be shifting focus to finding a new driver to replace him. With Sainz on the lookout for another team, boss James Vowles has made him his number-one priority.
Often publicly praising the Spanish driver, Vowles recently hailed the intelligence of Sainz. His 2023 win in Singapore particularly impressed Vowles. Apart from that, the 29-year-old’s race in Shanghai this year also left a lasting impression on the 44-year-old, who wants to bring the Spanish driver on board and pair him up with Alex Albon.
