A complex debut
The debut season in Formula 1 of Logan Sargeanthired by Williams replacing Nicholas Latifi after just one full year in Formula 2, it didn't turn out well for the American. In addition to some mistakes made, the 22-year-old was unable to keep up with his teammate Alexander Albon, obtaining just one point in the championship against the 27 of the Anglo-Thai. A series of difficulties encountered which, combined with the increasing pressure, seemed to prematurely end Sargeant's experience in Formula 1 ahead of next season.
The 'surprise' reconfirmation
Contrary to general expectations, Team Principal James Vowles instead he proposed the contract renewal to its pilot also for the 2024, believing in the qualities of #2. However, in a recent interview with Sky Sportsthe former Mercedes chief strategist did not hide the fact that there were still candidates to take over from Sargeant for the next world championship: “There were other options and other choices – He admitted – but we invested in Logan because I believe in him“.
The 'why' behind the renewal
Vowles had the opportunity to underline Sargeant's qualities, highlighting the philosophy he wanted to bring to Williams in his first year as Team Principal: “He's tremendously fast when he gets it all together – has explained – Now he needs an environment where he can grow and do more next year, and that's why he deserves more opportunities. I truly believe in investing in the future of individuals. I myself graduated college 25 years ago and have been given opportunities to grow. I made some terrible mistakes along the way, but they shaped me into who I am today. It was the same thing with Logan. With very little mileage in any kind of testing, we threw it against Alex, who now I think the world has really understood how competitive he is. He now feels the pressure much better than before and fought for the points. The car just wasn't fast enough in the last four rounds, but it was where I wanted it to be this year. It can still grow next year.”
The real Albon
Different story for Alex Albonwho particularly impressed Vowles with some of his performances: “I think you haven't seen the best of Alex – he concluded – he came into an environment where he was a little young and inexperienced. What you've seen this year with Alex is that he really transformed. His confidence has grown enormously from driving the car to the limit, believing in himself, the infrastructure and the team. In Monza, Montreal and Silverstone he didn't do anything wrong“.
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