Yahoo Autos Williams F1 Rewards American Logan Sargeant with Second Season
Logan Sargeant will remain with Williams in Formula 1 next year, the team has confirmed, completing the line-up of the 2024 grid.
Sargeant became Formula 1’s first American driver in eight seasons when he was parachuted into the seat by Williams for 2023 after just a single campaign in Formula 2.
Sargeant, who turns 23 on Dec. 31, endured a challenging campaign, having been shaded by team-mate Alex Albon, but picked up his maiden Formula 1 point at the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin—becoming the first American to score a point in Formula 1 since Michael Andretti in 1993.
Williams has regularly reiterated its priority to keep the faith in Sargeant, pointing to his inexperience and use of an older-spec car for several rounds, and would make a decision after the final round of the year.
On Friday, five days after the 2023 season finale in Abu Dhabi, Williams confirmed that Sargeant will continue alongside Albon in 2024.
“I am thrilled to be continuing with Williams Racing for the 2024 season,” said Sargeant. “It has been an incredible journey with the team so far, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue developing as a driver within such a talented and dedicated group. We have exciting plans for the future, and I can't wait to contribute to the team's success in the coming year.”
Williams team principal James Vowles said Sargeant has “demonstrated immense skill whilst under the pressure of the world stage, making him a perfect fit for our team. We have great confidence in his abilities and believe that together we can achieve even greater success in the upcoming season.”
Quiet Silly Season
Sargeant’s retention means there will be little in the way of changes to the starting grid heading into the 2024 Formula 1 season.
The only change for 2024 compared to the start of 2023 is the presence of Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri, after he replaced Nyck de Vries mid-season. Riccardo went on to miss five races this past season with a broken hand that allowed Liam Lawson to enter five Grands Prix.
There are no changes heading into 2024 compared to the field of 20 which started the final race of 2023 in Abu Dhabi last Sunday.
For the first time in history there are set to be zero rookies on the grid and there will be three world champions in Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. It means focus is already switching to 2025, when the majority of the drivers on the grid—including several front-runners—will see their current contracts expire.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (2028), Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and George Russell (2025) and McLaren pair Lando Norris (2025) and Oscar Piastri (2026) are the only drivers with contracts confirmed beyond 2024.
