Life at Williams has only been about two things for Logan Sargeant in 2023. He either finishes outside points or crashes out of the race. As a result of his crashes this season, the American driver has cost his team over $3,900,000 in damages, as reported by F1 Journalist Nate Saunders while appearing on Spotify’s Unlapped Podcast. Not only has Sargeant’s inconsistency cost Williams millions, but it has also given way to Alex Albon to drive a much better car despite being in the same team.
Albon has had a much better season than Sargeant, often causing trouble to the cars in the middle of the park, especially during the qualifying sessions. The Thai-British driver is currently P13 in the driver’s standings with 21 points, while Sargeant is the only active driver on the grid without any points. With the stark deficit compelling Williams to rethink their driver lineup, James Vowles says they want to continue with Sargeant despite the American burning a hole in their pocket.
Logan Sargeant causing his own demise in F1
After Aston Martin, the Williams driver lineup stands as the most mismatched lineup on the F1 grid at the moment. While Albon is constantly pushing his car to get the best out of it, Sargeant has seen his car being lifted by a crane on several occasions this season. Addressing the same during his time on Spotify’s Unlapped Podcast, Saunders claims the crashes have led to Sargeant driving a car that is not even on the same level as his teammate’s.
“The other thing with Logan, at the moment, which maybe accounts for a bit of his performance, is that he’s not running the same specs as Alex Albon because they literally do not have the parts to put on both cars because Logan has destroyed so many of them. Naturally, they have put them more on Alex’s car because he has a better chance of winning.”
The American driver’s future hangs in the balance, given his woeful campaign that has to be taken into consideration. His poor performances have cast a shadow of doubt over whether or not he will still be a driver in F1, much less with Williams. However, the team is willing to come up with any reason that can help the 22-year-old remain an integral part of the team.
Vowles in favor of continued partnership with Sargeant
The Japanese GP fared no better for Sargeant than most other races this season, as the American crashed his car in the qualifying session. During the race, he crashed with Valtteri Bottas and had to retire his car. Despite yet another dismal showing, the Williams team principal is in favor of keeping the American in their driver lineup and has only one demand from the 22-year-old. The team has set some goals for Sargeant to achieve before the season ends and is working closely with the driver to help him achieve them.
Mick Schumacher and Liam Lawson are worthy alternates available in the market, but Vowles and Co. are not currently looking at them. Should the remainder of the season turn out to be anything like the season Sargeant has had so far, Williams might not have a choice but to reshuffle their lineup for the 2024 season.
