The addition of Williams Before his performances "quite quickly" demonstrated he was prepared to go up to Formula 1, Logan Sargeant was scheduled to spend two years in Formula 2.
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Williams rookie Sargeant, who will race alongside Alex Albon in 2023, will make his Formula One debut in Bahrain. Sargeant will be the first full-time American on the grid since Scott Speed in 2007. Nicholas Latifi, who left Williams after three years, was replaced by Sargeant, who was selected after a remarkable debut season in F2 in which he claimed two victories and placed fourth overall. Prior to the summer break, Sargeant entered the race for the seat, and his commanding victory at Silverstone from pole position was a key factor in securing the seat.
Sven Smeets, the sporting director at Williams, said the team had intended for Sargeant to spend two years in F2, but his performances suggested he did not need to spend an additional year in the division. With Logan in F2, “we had a two-year strategy,” Smeets said to reorters. “I believe that is how everyone begins. We began to see the possibility that we might not need to work with him for two F2 seasons when the season began, notably at Silverstone and the races that followed. “We didn’t tell him he had to win F2 or finish second; it was just his development in F2, the unbridled speed he shown in one lap, and his personal maturation. Additionally, it was how he matures in these simulation sessions, participating in the physical training we provide for them, and training in the media. By the summer, everything was beginning to line up such that we might see him as one of our contenders.
Oscar Piastri, Alpine’s junior driver, had been in talks with Williams to join them on loan for this season, but after a contract dispute was settled by F1’s Contract Recognition Board, the Australian driver switched to McLaren. Prior to Williams boss Jost Capito declaring in Austin that the American will compete in 2023 provided he obtained a super licence, Sargeant entered the race for the position at the same time. While accepting that Sargeant would experience some “difficult times” as any rookie driver does, Smeets was optimistic that Sargeant could replicate the “fast steps” he took in F2 throughout his first F1 season. With the courses that [the season] is starting with, Saudi Arabia and Australia, there isn’t much room for error, according to Smeets. “There are three days of testing, which are one and a half days for him, and then you’re straight into a race for him to discover the boundaries of a Formula 1 car. You can’t just declare that you’ll travel a few thousand miles to test how far you can push these automobiles on a track. We are aware that will be a part of the process.
Despite the fact that Sargeant’s teammate Alex Albon will serve as a natural benchmark for him to compare himself to, Smeets said it would not be reasonable to expect the F2 graduate to be on the same level right away. The first thing to do when the car is where you want it to be, according to Smeets, is to challenge your teammate. “It would be best if you were in a position to compete for points. But we can’t just tell him to beat Alex in Bahrain, can we? That wouldn’t be very fair to him, in my opinion. But yes, that is the goal: to advance and use this season to learn before going all out for “24.”
