Williams did not lose faith in Logan Sargeant as they extended the American driver’s deal despite his massive performance. Team principal James Vowles decided to stick with Sargeant after the rookie showed signs of improvement and commitment despite costing the Wantage-based outfit a staggering $4.3 million in repair bills over the course of the 2023 season.
Vowles has always been positive about Sargeant in the last few races despite how the latter finished them. Speaking about the same, the British boss said as per The Athletic, “We have — and I’ve said this publicly — a responsibility to invest in our rookie drivers.”
Congratulations from JV
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) December 1, 2023
Admittedly, Sargeant had a poor season in 2023 considering the potential his car had. He only managed to score two points, whereas Williams teammate Alex Albon managed 27. Even though Sargeant struggled to match Albon, Vowles believes that the same is a result of the limited testing time the 22-year-old had.
“I’ve said this publicly — a responsibility to invest in our rookie drivers. We’ve put him there, and we’ve given him nearly no testing mileage. I’m used to 30,000km (18641.136 miles), not 850km (528.166 miles),” Vowles explained.
The Williams team principal then concluded his remarks by explaining how impressive Sargeant’s rise in Formula racing has been. He pointed out that the American has risen from F3 to F1 in just two years.
What led to Williams sticking with Logan Sargeant?
According to reports, multiple drivers could have been in the second seat of Williams. Starting with Liam Lawson, the list ends with F2 runners-up Frederik Vesti.
Zoom in bottom left pic.twitter.com/6Oysue8oih
— Logan Sargeant (@LoganSargeant) December 1, 2023
Renowned F1 photojournalist Kym Illman earlier mentioned that the British team might not renew Sargeant’s contract in 2024 and could start with Vesti instead. However, the American driver’s pace and aggression saved the day for him. It was reportedly the right balance between pure pace and car control that he showed in the final races that convinced Williams to extend his deal until the end of the 2024 season.
However, Sargeant will need to prove himself next year that he is deserving of the $1 million salary he is earning at the team. Since F1 is a ruthless business, the American cannot afford to have a slow start in 2024 or he will be at risk of losing his seat.
