The Auto Channel In Texas: Logan Sargeant's home town drive in Friday practice at Circuit of The Americas

By Peter Habicht, Senior Editor
Formula 1 Desk
The Auto Channel

Circuit of The Americas Austin TX October 21, 2022: American Logan Sergeant took to Circuit of The Americas in front of a busy home crowd today under beautiful Texas skies.

Sporting a Texas Longhorn atop his helmet, Sergeant drove the 2022 Williams FW44 in the first free practice today earning him valuable super license points which count towards his eligibility to secure a full time Formula 1 drive. Combined with a top five season finish in Formula 1’s feeder series F2 in Abu Dhabi later this year, he will have will completed his eligibility requirements for Formula 1.

Speaking to Formula 1 earlier this year, the Williams team boss Jost Capito said he believes “[Sargeant] will be in a Formula 1 car in the future, I'm absolutely convinced”. News is expected this weekend from the team as to who will be replacing the team’s current driver, Nicolas Latifi, who has announced his departure from Formula 1.

All of this is heady stuff for American Formula 1 fans who’ve been without a American favorite behind a wheel in the global series, which last saw Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi compete in 2015.

Sargeant was one of four drivers today who were able to take part as part of a young driver scheme that requires teams to give younger developing talent seat time in the latest cars at two races this year. Sargeant previously drove a Williams FW43 at a young driver’s test in Abu Dhabi last year. Speaking to media after his run this afternoon, Sargeant shared some differences to what he is used to in F2: “The way that the car reacts compared to what I’m used to in Formula 2 is massively different…Super reactive in the high-speed, and so good on the brakes. But yeah, in general, it was a good run. And I learned a lot.”

Part of Sargeant’s work for the team is to help in the FW44’s setup for the weekend at Circuit of The Americas, whose bumps and high speeds require a balance of aerodynamic and suspension settings to optimize speed. Sargent added: “I think the main goal coming into today was just to learn as much as possible… and I feel like I did pick up on a lot, very different to what I honestly expected, but in a good way.”

“I think most important now is to go back, debrief, pick up on as much information as I can, and give them as good a feedback as possible. And yeah, I’d say it was a good day in the office.”