Logan Sargeant falls ill during Qatar GP and retires amid safety concerns

08 October 2023 , 19:10

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Logan Sargeant had to be helped out of his car (Image: Sky Sports)

Logan Sargeant had to be helped out of his Williams car after retiring from the Qatar Grand Prix through illness.

The American was racing around at the back of the Grand Prix in sweltering conditions. F1 is in Qatar several weeks earlier in the year than on its previous visit to the Gulf country and the extra heat and humidity was noticeable.

All of the drivers were struggling but that was particularly the case with Sargeant. He reported over the radio that he was not feeling well mid-way through the race, after which his Williams team offered him the option to come into the pits.

He initially refused, insisting that he was okay to carry on. When team principal James Vowles came onto the radio to tell him that it really was okay if he needed to stop, Sargeant, gave his word that he felt able to carry on.

Vowles then spoke to Sky Sports about the issue. The team boss confirmed that it was not an illness that Sargeant had reported before the race and that it appeared to simply be that he was struggling with the head in the cockpit of his car.

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Despite bravely trying to continue, Sargeant eventually had to give in. He radioed again to say that he actually did need to stop and on-board cameras on his car showed that his driving was worryingly erratic as he talked about his struggles.

He slowly let a lot of cars by in order to not get in the way of others, while yellow flags were also shown in sector three as the race director noticed how slowly he was going. And eventually he made his way back to the garage unscathed.

It was immediately clear just how much the Floridian was struggling. He needed to be supported by a colleague as he clambered out of his car, while members of his pit crew attempted to obscure the view of the TV cameras outside the garage.

Sargeant's seat is the only one on the grid which has yet to be confirmed for 2024. Given that he has yet to score a point in his first 17 races in F1, there remains plenty of speculation over his future with Williams and in the sport.

But team principal Vowles spoke publicly before the Qatar race weekend to reaffirm his commitment to giving Sargeant all the time he can to prove his worth. "We're working with him. We want him to succeed, and we want him in the car next year. This is very much on us as well," he said.

Daniel Moxon