Logan Sargeant's F1 Fate With Williams Could Be Sealed Any Day Now

The saga of Carlos Sainz’s future could be decided in the coming days, in turn sealing the fate of Logan Sargeant. Sainz has offers from several teams, and Williams team principal James Vowles is optimistic that a deal can be reached any day now.

“I think the odds are in our favor,” Vowles said. “But I’ve been stung by this already once this year, so let’s see. [But] I think the odds are in our favor.”

Vowles says he understands why Sainz has been biding his time before making a decision.

“What he looks at is what you can see externally,” Vowles said, referring to Williams’ on-track performance, compared to the substantial structural changes ongoing at its base in Grove. “[He is saying] ‘Where are you, where do you qualify, why did you have a bad race here, what’s going on here.’ He has one of the largest OEMs in the world [Audi] chasing him. That’s hard to turn down.

"He has an [offer from a] team [Alpine] that, let’s been clear about it, has historically beaten us fundamentally. And again, that becomes hard to turn down. They won races not that long ago, or won a race not that long ago. I can see that perspective on things. Here’s what he told me, which actually resonated the most: ‘The reason why I’m doing this is when I commit, I need to commit with all my heart and all my soul, 100%. And to be able to do that means I can’t have any doubts. And that’s why it’s taken the time.’ And that resonated with me.”

Speaking after Sunday’s race, Sainz said: “James has been very vocal about wanting me in Williams, and as you guys know I'm a big fan of his and his work ethic and the way he's pushing that team forward. So, it's not secret that I get on very well with James. Whether he's being optimistic or not, I keep that to myself.”

Sainz also quipped that he was eager to enter the summer break just to avoid hearing questions over his future.

Sargeant, who finished 18th before moving up to 17th following George Russell's disqualification on Sunday in Belgium, has had a disappointing and scoreless sophomore season and has long been expected to be dropped for 2025. Vowles refused to confirm that the American would even see out the rest of 2024.

“I think what I’ve said before is this: earn your place,” he said. “In Silverstone and Budapest, he earned his place. This weekend, I need him to do more in a race weekend. But I’m not going to make a decision from one race to the next. What I’m not going to sit here and say is Logan absolutely has a place nailed for ever in this situation. Earn it, as I have to earn my job, as Alex has to earn his job at the same time.”