With rumors of Williams courting Kimi Antonelli to add him for the 2025 season, Logan Sargeant’s days seem numbered. The American driver, however, might just manage to keep his F1 career secured. That, according to Marc Priestley, might come in the form of potential interest from Haas. The reason for it stems from their need to source in more cash and bank on Sargeant’s American roots.
The former McLaren mechanic said, “Logan Sargeant looking more and more likely to not be retained by Williams. That may not come as a major surprise. What could be a surprise, though, is that his name is cropping elsewhere. The Haas team seems to be a potential destination. We know that Logan Sargeant will bring cash to any team that he joins. Haas need that cash, so that’s a potential option.”
Haas might end up fielding a fresh driver lineup just like they did back in 2021 with Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin. While Nico Hulkenberg is ready to join Sauber ahead of the rebranding to Audi in 2025, Kevin Magnussen might face the axe. Ferrari prodigy Oliver Bearman, meanwhile, has emerged as team boss Ayao Komatsu’s favorite.
The Briton featured as a stand-in for ailing Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian GP. Bagging P6 in the race ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, the 19-year-old quickly became popular among experts.
Komatsu, who was equally impressed, has decided to give Bearman a shot in the car for FP1 at Imola. The F2 driver, however, might face stern competition from Mick Schumacher, whose name has surprisingly been linked with Haas, according to Priestley.
Logan Sargeant, meanwhile, hasn’t made a great case for himself so far in the season. The Floridian bagged one point in the 2023 season, and in 2024, he hasn’t opened his account yet.
Why must Haas remain cautious of signing Logan Sargeant?
So far in 2024, Logan Sargeant has failed to show much improvement from last year. The 23-year-old has continued to struggle to get to terms with the car and has often spun or crashed. His failure to develop confidence in the car has further raised speculations that Williams will not retain him for much longer.
Couple that with how costly he has proven to be, owing to his habit of crashing the car, Haas might want to stay clear. In 2023 alone, Sargeant cost Williams a whopping $4,650,000 in repair costs, a number that saw him top the unwanted list.
: Williams faces an eye-watering crash bill after Logan Sargeant’s FP1 crash adds to repair costs. Ralf Schumacher suggests Sargeant is overwhelmed, urging him to consider alternatives outside F1. Williams may exceed $2 million in damages.#F1 pic.twitter.com/4Arkr7MrkQ
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) April 10, 2024
Keeping this figure in mind, Haas management will have to decide if Logan Sargeant brings more through sponsors than he costs through accidents. Moreover, they will also have to decide whether it’s worth keeping talents like Mick Schumacher and Oliver Bearman at bay.
