The Miami circuit’s undefeated champion, Max Verstappen, emerged victorious in the sprint race, securing his third consecutive F1 title. Finishing a considerable distance behind was Sargeant, who claimed 12th place, two spots ahead of his Williams teammate, Alex Albon.
However, things took a turn during the qualifying round for Sunday’s race, as Sargeant found himself in a distant 17th position among the 20 drivers.
Eager to know if he had advanced out of the first qualifying group, Sargeant radioed his Williams team, anxiously asking, “Are we in? Please tell me we are in!” Unfortunately, he received the disappointing news that he had not made the cut. Sargeant’s response was a simple, “That’s a shame.”
To secure his seat, Sargeant must consistently match Albon’s performance, a requirement emphasized by Williams team principal, James Vowles. However, Sargeant has yet to meet this expectation.
Speculation is rife that Sargeant may be replaced as early as the May 19 race in Imola, Italy. The leading contender to take his spot is Mercedes junior driver, Andrea Kimi Antonelli. At 17 years old, Antonelli competes in Formula 2 but lacks the Super License necessary for F1 races. A request has been made to the FIA to grant Antonelli a Super License before his 18th birthday in August.
Vowles acknowledged the desire for change but emphasized that there are more pressing matters to address within the team. He highlighted the need to improve the car’s performance, as Albon, despite delivering exceptional drives, has been unable to score points. Vowles stated that his primary concern lies in enhancing the car’s capabilities, rather than making decisions about drivers for the upcoming years.
Regarding Antonelli, Vowles reminded everyone that it has only been 20 months since the Italian driver was in a Formula 4 car. Transitioning to an F1 car in such a short period is a significant leap. Vowles expressed his uncertainty about Antonelli’s progress, as he does not have access to direct communication with Mercedes or information about the tests. Furthermore, he clarified that comparing Antonelli’s performance to Sargeant’s in this situation is not valid, given the differences in the cars being used.
As a customer of Mercedes, Williams lacks sufficient data to evaluate Antonelli’s abilities, and he will not be replacing Sargeant at Imola. The lack of a suitable reference point, as well as the use of older cars, makes it challenging to make accurate comparisons.
The head of Williams also mentioned that his most recent conversation with Antonelli occurred during the final race of the 2023 season in Abu Dhabi. However, he was firm in his belief that Antonelli will not be replacing Sargeant anytime soon: “There was a rumor circulating that he would be in the car starting from Imola – that is not the case.
“From the very beginning, I have always emphasized that it is a system based on merit. Logan must earn his place. Currently, he has some challenging objectives that require him to get much closer to Alex. But there are no plans to replace him at the moment,” Vowles insisted.
Sargeant did not participate in one race this season due to Albon’s crash during practice in Australia. Since Williams did not have a spare car, Sargeant’s car was given to Albon for the race. In the subsequent event in Japan, Sargeant received Albon’s repaired car instead of his own undamaged Williams.
Throughout the first four races of this season, Sargeant has consistently been outperformed by Albon during qualifying, and his highest finishing position has been 14th. He has only earned a single point in his rookie season, which was last year at Austin, after participating in 26 races.
Sargeant, who took a day off earlier this week to go boating with his family and friends, expressed that he feels at ease racing at home and is not succumbing to external speculation: “Every Formula 1 race carries a significant amount of pressure.
“If anything, it just feels like a more relaxed weekend, you know, staying at home, being able to eat whatever I want when I’m at home, having my friends and parents around. It just feels slightly different, but in a positive way,” explained the American. (Report by Jenna Fryer; Additional Quotes F1TV)