Mike Shank Excited to Bring Logan Sargeant in for IndyCar Test

IndyCar team owner Mike Shank admits there's no openings for IndyCar drivers at Meyer Shank Racing for the 2025 season.

That said, it's hard to turn down an opportunity to bring in a former Formula 1 driver for a test.

In November, Meyer Shank Racing will be bringing in former Williams F1 driver Logan Sargeant to the Thermal Club in Thermal, Calif., for a one-day test session. And while it's not exactly an audition for a seat, Shank said that both sides have something to gain.

"As IndyCar owners, you're kind of foolish not to test a Super License holder who's 23 years old," Shank told Autoweek. "They're tough to get, and we had an opportunity to take a look at Logan even though my slots are full for next year. That doesn't matter. I've got a really big sports car program, too. Could we use him maybe there sometime? It's just really good to have looks at people when you have the opportunity."

Sargeant, a Florida native, has been on Shank's radar for some time, even before Sargeant's nearly two-year run with the Williams F1 team.

"I've known Logan and brother (Dalton) for a long time, and I've know about them for a long time through another driver that drove for me for 13 years—Oswaldo Negri—and he kept telling me, 'you got to watch these guys.' " Shank said. "And in the meantime, I've met Logan's manager who is also (Mercedes F1 driver) George Russell's manager. He and I have stayed in touch, and he's asked me to 'keep an eye on my guy.' "

Shank adds that the test at Thermal is strictly an IndyCar deal. Nobody is rolling out a GTP car over the lunch hour to see how Sargeant might fare for a possible IMSA ride.

While MSR has yet to announce its drivers for the team's return to the IMSA GTP category in 2025, Shank says the team is set to make a driver announcement on that side a day or two after the IMSA Petit Le Mans finale Oct. 12 at Road Atlanta.

Sargeant could always be in the mix for a future run in sports cars with MSR, maybe even as the third driver for an endurance race.

"I would say not this year, but we're going to see a lot. This test will show us a lot," Shank said. "Not everything, but we'll get get probably 50-60% of where he's at on a good test day."

The NTT IndyCar Series has been a solid second act for several Formula 1 driver over the years. Former Haas F1 driver Romain Grosjean is the most recent make the transition, having come over in 2021. Former F1 drivers Alexander Rossi, Marcus Ericsson and Takuma Sato all raced in IndyCar in 2024 and have Indy 500 wins on their list of accomplishments.

"Romain does a good job, he's very quick and we'd like to find more people if we could like that," Shank said. "I don't know what's going to happen, but what I do know is I'll have a good snapshot of Logan."

The test session will also bring a new and bigger spotlight on IndyCar and Meyer Shank Racing. After all, Sargeant will be bringing a lot of F1 fans with him—at least on the social media front where he has more than one million followers on Instagram alone.

"I agree," Shank said. "I didn't realize the social reach of Logan. It was way, way more than I expected."

For Sargeant, the test is the next step in his career and a chance to get a new line on his resume' after what would have to be characterized as a disappointing run in Formula 1. He was scoreless in 14 races in 2024. In 2023, he managed a single point for his top-10 finish at Austin.

"It obviously didn't go super well for him at Williams," Shank said. "But in Formula 2 coming up to that, he did very well, I thought. That's kind of a level formula, and those guys are all interesting to test in cars. Ganassi is going to test Felipe Drugovich at Barber. I think it's always good to look at these people who are super strong."

Even if Sargeant aces his test at Thermal, there's no job waiting for him at Meyer Shank. Not just now, anyway. The IndyCar team has already added former Ganassi racer Marcus Armstrong to pair with Felix Rosenqvist in what promises to be a strong pairing for the 2025 IndyCar season.

"We can't do anything with Logan right now," Shank said. "I can just take away that we either had a good or a tough test—or whatever it was–and then keep that in the back of our heads. Our worlds collide often in this sport. Just because it didn't work this year that we don't have an opening right now doesn't mean anything."