2024 F1 mid-season driver rankings #20: Logan Sargeant · RaceFans

When Logan Sargeant was handed a second chance to race for Williams in 2024, some considered even that as being too generous of the Grove team.

The rookie had undoubtedly struggled over his rookie campaign, but with the vocal support of team principal James Vowles encouraging the young American driver to “shock the world” in 2024, Sargeant was given a blank slate with which to stake his claim that he belonged in Formula 1.

Unfortunately, Sargeant has been unable to make the kind of major step forwards that he or his team would have wanted. Although there is still just under half of the 2024 season remaining, it has already been decided that Sargeant’s time as a Williams driver will end by the chequered flag at Abu Dhabi.

Sargeant needed a strong start to the season to change the narrative about him after 2023, but sadly, the mistakes only continued. He damaged his car in final practice in Jeddah and then couldn’t follow team mate Alexander Albon into Q2, then crashed in practice in Japan after seeming to just drive off the track at Dunlop. In China, he was eliminated from Q1 again after a spin on the damp tarmac, then he was knocked out of Q1 yet again in Imola after having every single lap time rendered moot by either an error or a track limits violation.

The lowest moment of the season, however, came when he had not even made any mistakes of his own. In the third round in Australia, Williams were hopeful of competing for their first points of the season at Albert Park, only for Albon to wreck his car in practice. With just a single useable chassis, Vowles decided to sacrifice Sargeant’s car for his team mate. A controversial choice, but one with which the majority of you agreed.

After spinning out of the wet race in Montreal, it was hard not to feel as though Sargeant’s days in Formula 1 were numbered. Especially with rumours flaring in the paddock about Andrea Kimi Antonelli potentially being brought in as a replacement for the Williams driver. But after Canada, Sargeant’s run to the summer break was a clear improvement, with him avoiding any major errors and putting in the kinds of performances that his team would have expected from him in year two.

Sadly, it’s too late for Sargeant to save his future at Williams and it may be that he’s lost out on the opportunity to convince any team to take another chance on him in the future. But with ten more rounds left of the season, he at least has plenty of chances to make sure he leaves the series with his head held high.

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