James Vowles, the boss of Williams, has once again emphasized that there are no guarantees that Logan Sargeant will complete the 2024 Formula 1 season with the team.
Sargeant’s time as a Williams F1 driver will come to an end after the current campaign, as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz will replace him in 2025.However, Vowles has repeatedly stated that Sargeant must perform well each weekend in order to secure his place for the remaining races this season.The American driver has faced difficulties in his second year, as he is the only non-Sauber driver who has not scored any points in the first 14 rounds.
Sargeant’s prospects were affected earlier in the season when Williams faced a shortage of spare parts, resulting in his car being equipped with outdated components compared to Alex Albon.But now that Sargeant has the same car specifications as Albon, Vowles expects him to consistently match his teammate’s performance.
“In terms of his progress, he was where we wanted him to be at Silverstone and Budapest,” Vowles told the media. “That’s what I’m looking for. However, this weekend in Belgium, he’s not performing well. He would admit the same. “It’s difficult to pinpoint why. He has found the car to be unpredictable from lap to lap. “The best way I can explain it is that he knows where he needs to be. And for complete transparency, he needs to be on par with Alex, pushing him every time.
“And we’re not there yet. If you look at the qualifying statistics, it’s clear. But if I also showed you his progress in Budapest, Silverstone, and before that, you can see that there has been improvement.” Vowles disclosed earlier this season that Esteban Ocon from Alpine, who has secured a move to Haas in 2025, visited the team’s Grove’s headquarters for a seat fitting.
In the meantime, Williams was successful in obtaining permission from the FIA for Andrea Kimi Antonelli to enter F1 before reaching the age of 18. When asked if he could confirm that Sargeant would complete the season with Williams, Vowles replied: “I believe what I’ve mentioned before is this. Prove yourself.
“At Silverstone and Budapest, he proved himself. This weekend, I need him to do more during the race weekend, but I won’t make a decision based on just one race.”What I don’t want to say is that Logan has a guaranteed place in this situation forever. Earn it. Just like I have to earn my job, and Alex has to earn his job.”
Vowles also dismissed a recent rumor that he and Sargeant are no longer communicating, stating that it is in his best interest to have both drivers performing well.
“First of all, there are strange stories that surface. Logan and I do talk, not necessarily daily, but definitely on race weekends, and outside of that, several times a week. “Because my responsibility is to do the best I can for him. Ultimately, if we want to score points, we need both drivers performing at their best.
“Secondly, I have a duty towards him. He will still be a professional racing driver in the future, and he is still a part of Williams in that sense. “And we have made an investment in him. We started it here, and it will continue.”
Photo from Logan Sargeant Instagram
