Sergio Perez penalized for returning to the pits with a heavily damaged rear wing after spinning and hitting the barriers, ending a terrible weekend for him. The Canadian Grand Prix proved to be a dangerous race, with a quarter of the grid failing to finish. While some retirements were the result of unfortunate circumstances, such as the incidents involving Alex Albon and Charles Leclerc, others were caused by significant errors made by the drivers, which had an impact on the entire event.
Sergio Perez faced penalties for returning to the pits with a severely damaged rear wing after spinning and hitting the barriers, ending a disastrous weekend for him. Similarly, Carlos Sainz’s late spin not only ended his own race, but also took out Alex Albon, which could create tension if they become teammates at Williams in the future. Logan Sargeant was the last driver to retire, spinning at turn six and causing irreparable damage by colliding with the barriers at turn four.
During The Fast and The Curious Podcast, David Croft discussed Sargeant’s increasingly slim chances of remaining in Formula 1. His performance in Canada further diminished his already scarce prospects of securing a new contract beyond 2025. Williams team principal James Vowles took a risk with Sargeant, urging him to be the surprise of the season, but it’s no surprise that he was the 20th driver to be rewarded with a new contract last year.
Sargeant has shown moments of talent, but not everything has gone his way this year. He had to give up his chassis to Albon in Australia, leading to his withdrawal from the race. Additionally, Albon has been prioritized for upgrades, partly due to Sargeant’s performance difficulties. Williams has fallen behind its competitors in terms of car development, exacerbated by accidents that require additional work for the factory team.
David Croft believes that Sargeant has not done enough to deserve a new contract in F1. Despite reaching Q2 on Saturday, individual errors cost him the opportunity to score another point in his solitary career. Croft stated: “There’s nothing he [Alex Albon] can do about it, but Logan [Sargeant], I’m sure he could have done more to prevent himself from spinning out.”
With Carlos Sainz being a prime target for Williams, Sargeant’s future looks uncertain. Although his management team is in discussions with Haas, he does not appear to be one of the top candidates for their vacancies. Vowles expressed his hopelessness in signing Sainz, emphasizing the need to have two world-class drivers to compete in the next season.
Looking ahead, it remains to be seen if Sargeant will complete the season with Williams and what his next move will be. Mercedes may seize the opportunity to replace him with Kimi Antonelli once he turns 18, while Williams has several promising young drivers, including Monaco F2 winner Zak O’Sullivan.
