As widely expected, Williams have finally confirmed that they’ll be retaining Logan Sargeant for the 2024 season, despite a turbulent rookie season.
For the first time in Formula 1 history, all of the drivers who participated in the final round of the 2023 season will be on the grid at the 2024 season-opener, following Sargeant’s renewal.
Whilst it was expected that Sargeant would be retained for a sophomore campaign, it was far from a guarantee, given how much he struggled for the bulk of 2023.
He failed to out-qualify Alex Albon once during the recently completed season, whilst he also topped the leaderboard for total crash damage.
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Williams had to fork out a staggering £3.4 million to repair Sargeant’s car following his series of crashes this year, a sum which is over four times his reported £820,000 salary.
Sargeant’s tendency to crash at most events this year certainly caused Williams a headache, given that the likes of Liam Lawson and 2023 Formula 2 Vice-Champion Frederik Vesti don’t have a racing seat for next year.
However, the historic side want to give the American driver more time, with him feeling incredibly “grateful” to be kept for another season.
“I am thrilled to be continuing with Williams Racing for the 2024 season,” Sargeant said.
“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.”
Sargeant did show glimmers of promise towards the end of the 2023 season in particular, as he finished P10 at the United States Grand Prix and progressed all the way to Q3 at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Now that he has a full campaign under his belt, Sargeant’s confidence and ability should improve heading into 2024, which should correlate into better results.
Williams team principal James Vowles is “pleased” to have kept Sargeant and is certain that his performances will be better next year.
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“I am pleased to continue our journey with Logan into the 2024 season,” Vowles said.
“Logan 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.”