American Logan Sargeant Gets Promise of 2023 F1 Ride with Williams

• Williams F1 team announced on Saturday at Austin that 21-year-old Logan Sargeant would be given a full-season Formula 1 ride if he gets his Super License.

• Sargeant, who is third in the F2 points championship, needs to finish in the top-six to score enough points to earn the ticket to F1.

• There is just one race weekend left in the F2 season, that being Nov. 17-19 at Abu Dhabi.

The United States is set to be represented on the Formula 1 grid for the first time in eight years in 2023 with Logan Sargeant poised to join Williams

Sargeant, from Boca Raton, Florida, joined Williams’ young driver scheme last season and has this year raced in Formula 1’s feeder championship, Formula 2. He is currently in third place in the standings with one round of the season left to run in Abu Dhabi next month.

Sargeant made his F1 free practice debut in the United States on Friday and Williams outlined on Saturday that he will return to the FW44 for the corresponding sessions in Mexico City and Abu Dhabi.

Under the FIA’s Super License points system, Sargeant has 30 points—with 40 required to earn the golden ticket. A top-six season points finish in Formula 2—or top seven if Sargeant avoids picking up penalty points in Abu Dhabi—will be sufficient for Sargeant to get the Super License.

Williams F1 team principal Jost Capito announced on Saturday that Sargeant will race for the team in 2023 if he earns the Super License. Sargeant, 21, would replace Nicholas Latifi in Williams’ lineup and link up with incumbent Alexander Albon.

Sargeant’s impending debut comes amid Formula 1’s expansion in the United States.

The annual US Grand Prix at COTA has grown to become one of Formula 1’s best-attended events, while Miami joined the schedule this year, and Las Vegas will arrive next November.

Several U.S. brands have ramped up involvement in Formula 1, with Oracle this year becoming the title partner of Red Bull Racing, and MoneyGram set to tie up with Haas from 2023. Williams, too, has American influence following its acquisition by investment firm Dorilton Capital in 2020.

Sargeant’s promotion is also set to bring to an end America’s absence from the grid itself.

Alexander Rossi was the most recent racer, starting five events with Manor Marussia in 2015, but the last full-time competitor was Scott Speed, who was axed by Toro Rosso mid-way through his second season in 2007.

AlphaTauri strived to bring Colton Herta into the frame for 2023 but he was not granted a Super Licence by the FIA and an attempt to receive a waiver never materialized