The question of whether Logan Sargeant will keep his seat with Williams has been on everyone’s minds. The rookie has had a challenging season, marked by multiple collisions, crashes and DNFs.
Sargeant spoke with the media on Thursday ahead of the Qatar GP, reflecting on his performances and his future with the team. When asked about the possibility of staying with Williams next year, he expressed uncertainty, emphasising that his primary focus is on improvement.
“Honestly I don’t know,” Sargeant responded. “I talk to James every weekend in terms of what I can keep doing better. Until there’s any decision made, all I’m doing is trying to do my best every single weekend, keep improving and just try to be more consistent.”
In discussing how to maintain a positive and focused mindset despite his recent struggles, he displayed maturity and determination.
“Experience always helps. But no, I have people I talk to just to try and understand how to approach these things, why these little mistakes are happening and how to get rid of them. It’s a constant work in progress. I don’t think anyone is perfect in that sense. So, it’s about building off mistakes. It might sound silly but use them to your advantage, try and learn from it, it’s all you can really do. Keep trying to be a better driver from a mindset point of view every weekend.”
Sargeant’s racing career has been impressive from the beginning, with multiple F2 and F3 wins behind him, and he just missed out on the Formula 3 title in 2020. As the first American racing in Formula 1 since 2015, expectations were naturally high. When asked about the negativity on social media surrounding his performances, he was pragmatic in his response.
“I don’t even look at it to be honest with you. I have conversations with people who want me to keep improving, people who want me to be a better driver or person and I don’t even pay attention to the other nonsense.”
During the media session, comparisons were drawn between Logan Sargeant and Nyck De Vries and there were comments about the challenges rookies face when adapting to a new car. Sargeant shared his thoughts on how he would address these issues, pointing to how Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso got lots of mileage through testing before their debuts.
“Ideally, you have more testing and that’s really the best way to prepare. Back in the day when Lewis and Fernando joined, everyone back then got endless days of testing in the current car, which is very different to what we experience now. It’s always the previous generation and that makes a difference, but even if it’s the previous generation, just having more days makes a difference.”
Despite the challenges Sargeant has faced this season, he remains focused on improvement. Comparisons to experienced drivers and the limited time rookies have to adapt are part of the sport, but Sargeant’s approach is clear – he’s learning from every race, and working towards becoming a better driver.
