Williams planned for Sargeant to stay in F2 for 2023

Williams Sporting Director Sven Smeets has disclosed that their initial plan for Logan Sargeant was for him to spend another season in Formula 2, however due to various reasons he has been promoted to Formula 1.

Sargeant, a graduate of the Williams Academy, will be the first American to participate in F1 since Alexander Rossi in 2015 and will make his debut alongside Alex Albon in the beginning of March.

The Florida-born racer had a highly successful debut season in Formula 2 last year, characterized by outstanding performances in speed, including two pole positions and two wins.

Sargeant’s standout performances in F1 occurred while Nicholas Latifi was struggling and on the brink of being let go.

Due to the limited options available, Sargeant quickly became the preferred choice for Williams, and the team’s former principal, Jost Capito, offered him the seat on the condition that he would be able to obtain the required FIA Super License.

Sargeant’s promotion officially finalizes the lineup for the 2023 grid, making him one of two newcomers to next year’s field, along with his former Formula 3 competitor, Oscar Piastri.

However, Smeets explained that Sargeant’s career path could have been different as their initial plan was for him to compete for a second season in F2 before moving up to the top class.

“Our plan for Logan [Sargeant] in F2 was for a two-year period. I believe this is the usual approach for everyone’s start.” Smeets told Motorsport.

“As the season began, we soon realized, especially after Silverstone and the following races, that Logan [Sargeant] had more potential than we initially thought, and may not have needed two seasons in F2.”

“We did not set a specific goal for him to win F2 or come in second, it was based on his progress in F2, his raw speed demonstrated in one lap and his overall maturity as a driver”

But his performance alone was not the only thing that caught the attention of the leadership of Williams.

“We were also impressed by how he progressed in the simulator sessions, his physical training, and his media training,” Smeets said. “All of these factors led us to believe that by summertime, he had the potential to become one of our top contenders.”

Williams Sargeant 2023 Williams Sargeant 2023

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