Logan Sargeant to get Williams F1 seat
Logan Sargeant will race for Williams in Formula 1 next year; the team has confirmed.
Formula 2 driver Sargeant made his F1 race weekend debut this Friday in Austin, finishing 19th for Williams. It helped Sargeant pick up an additional point towards his FIA super license, with further practice planned in Mexico and Abu Dhabi this season.
If he gets clean sessions in Mexico and Abu Dhabi, Sargeant could get up to 30 points that would mean he could finish as low as sixth in the F2 standings and still gain a super license.
Williams F1 boss Jost Capito has now confirmed that if Sargeant gets a super license, he will race alongside Alex Albon in 2023.
“We feel he’s ready to race,” said Capito in Saturday’s FIA press conference. “Under the condition that he has enough super license points, he will be our second driver next year.”
Sargeant would become the first full-time American driver in Formula 1 since Scott Speed raced for Toro Rosso back in 2007. Alexander Rossi made five appearances for Marussia towards the end of the 2015 season but was never a full-time driver.
Sargeant currently sits third on 135 points but is only 12 points clear of Liam Lawson who is in seventh place, making the Abu Dhabi F2 finale crucial to his F1 chances.
The team was happy with his performance in FP1 on Friday in Austin, where he completed the 100km required to gain one extra super license point. He will also take part in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi.
“Logan showed a high level of understanding during his FP1 debut in Austin and provided useful feedback to help in the team’s preparations for the rest of the weekend,” said Williams sporting director Sven Smeets.
“We are providing Logan further opportunities in Mexico and Abu Dhabi to integrate himself with the team trackside in both Free Practice sessions and the Young Driver Test as we work hard to support Logan in his efforts towards earning the FIA Super License.”
“We’re looking forward to seeing how Logan progresses this season and finishes out his last race of the season in Formula 2.”
This means there is just one seat remaining for 2023 grid, which is of Haas. The team is awaiting to see their current driver Mick score some points or decide to give someone else a chance.