26 November 2023 , 17:51
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A Williams engineer hinted Logan Sargeant may get a second year in Formula 1 despite failing to score points at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The American has scored just one point in his debut season in the sport after finding the learning curve particularly steep. And the season finale at the Yas Marina Circuit was seen as his final chance to audition for the seat he currently holds.
It is the last seat yet to be confirmed for the 2024 season. And the fact he qualified dead last and failed to get close to troubling the points positions in the race will not have helped his case.
But a radio message from his race engineer hints that Sargeant may yet get that second season he has been striving for. "Looking forward to next year, buddy!" they said over the radio.
Williams have yet to make an official announcement over Sargeant's future. Team principal James Vowles had committed to letting the American racer complete the season before being informed of his final decision.
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Naturally, the Williams chief was asked about it in his post-race chat with journalists in Abu Dhabi. But still he was unwilling to give anything away, other than to point at the progress Sargeant has made in the latter stages of the season.
He said: "I'm afraid you're getting ahead of yourself. But whatever happens, Logan has been in our academy for many, many years. He will always remain a part of our academy. He's still an excellently quick driver.
"But I think also, if we step away from that and look at the last five races and how he's been improving, I think you can see signs that he's doing what we need to earn the seat. But we're not in a position to confirm that at this point in time. The main thing I want him to be aware of, is I'm proud of the steps he's made."
Should Williams decide to make a change they will have no shortage of potential options. Mick Schumacher has committed to continuing as Mercedes reserve and racing in the World Endurance Championship with the Alpine entry, but newly-crowned Formula 2 champion Theo Pourchaire and previous winner Felipe Drugovich are desperate for their first full-time F1 drives.
And, even though he did not manage the F2 title, Mercedes junior Frederik Vesti has been tipped by Ralf Schumacher as a candidate for the seat. "[Vowles] is watching him closely in Abu Dhabi and is also allowed to see his data. 'Maybe we have to make a decision for next year'," said the Sky Germany pundit.