Written by Jiya Mahapatra, Edited by Sharifah Zaqreeztrina
Logan Sargeant’s future in Formula One currently hangs in the balance. Williams have yet to announce whether or not he will be staying with the British team for the 2025 season, and as of now, it looks unlikely. He’s currently placed 20th in the driver standings, and although he was close to scoring points recently at Silverstone, the rest of his results have been fairly poor.
It doesn’t help that his teammate, Alex Albon, has generally been performing well, even earning points in Monaco.
Albon has already extended his contract with Williams, but the team remains indecisive as to whether or not to keep Sargeant for next year, with James Vowles emphasising that they are maintaining an “open-minded” approach to the 2025 season.
Vowles recently informed the media that “What we’ve said to Logan is that it’s a meritocracy. You have to make sure you earn your place in the sport continuously.”, and added that, “That’s been the same message that has been for 18 months really for him. And we are open-minded to things”
Vowles' statement implies that while they are still assessing Sargeant’s performance, they are also open to other possibilities.
However, the team principal has also taken partial responsibility for Sargeant’s lack of performance, stating “What I’ve said before and I’ve maintained today, is that our car, and that is a responsibility on my shoulders and the team, isn’t quick enough”.
By saying this, Vowles is acknowledging that there is only so much that Sargeant can do given the machinery he has to work with, which may be his only saving grace.
Another factor that has fueled the rumours of Sargeant leaving F1 is that he’s reportedly in talks to join Prema’s newest team in the Indycar Series next year.
Prema’s team principal Rene Rosin has revealed that he has discussed this possibility with Sargeant, but that a formal decision hasn’t been made yet, explaining, “We are talking, but I have been concentrating on building up the team in the style that we all want, and the drivers will be in the second stage”.
Sargeant also has a strong connection with Prema, seeing as he drove for the team in Formula 3 back in 2020, with Rosin stating that “We have known him for a while”. This could potentially help him to set up a backup plan in the new Indycar if his future in F1 has been out of reach.
If Sargeant were to leave F1, Williams has a few options to replace him. One of the options is Franco Colapinto, who currently drives for MP Motorsport in Formula 2.
Colapinto is also a member of the Williams Driver Academy, and was recently given the opportunity to drive their F1 car during the first free practice session at the British Grand Prix, showing that he has strong ties with the team and has their trust.
While it may seem as though Williams were training the Argentinian in case of any driver replacement, Vowles actually explained that it was more of a reward for his strong recent F2 results rather than to test him. “It was sort of a reward for a very strong Formula 2 season,” Vowles vocalised. “I like recognising that we have a strong young driver program.”
Williams also has the option of Carlos Sainz, who still hasn’t secured an F1 seat yet for 2025. At the beginning of this season, Scuderia Ferrari announced that Lewis Hamilton will be replacing Sainz next year, and after many discussions with doors being opened and closed, Sainz is still yet to find a spot.
As nearly all empty seats on the grid have slowly been filled, Williams may be the Spaniard’s only option if he wants to remain in F1 next season
As it stands, Sargeant’s future in racing is up in the air, and he will need to give his best performance in the next few races to convince Vowles that he deserves to stay.
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