Within the Rainbow Room in early February, Logan Sargeant regarded me within the eyes and instructed me what a profitable 2024 Method 1 season would appear like for him. “It’s at all times one of many hardest questions at first of the 12 months as a result of we don’t know the place we’re going to be as a staff. So I’m going to go away that out of it as a result of, you understand, we’ll finally discover that out in Bahrain,” mentioned Sargeant to me and the remainder of the assembled media that February day.
“However, personally, it’s fairly easy. I wish to make an enormous step ahead from a private facet. I wish to carry out constantly over the course of a season on the stage I do know I can carry out at,” continued Sargeant.
“And if I try this, that’ll be an enormous success.”
To listen to Sargeant describe his efficiency this season, in addition to Williams Crew Principal James Vowles, this has been a profitable 12 months utilizing these requirements. The second-year driver has been extra constant this 12 months, and is coming off two-straight qualifying performances that noticed him place forward of Sergio Pérez, who completed second within the Drivers’ Championship a 12 months in the past.
Talking throughout the Miami Grand Prix, Sargeant described that week of driving as essentially the most comfy he has felt in a Method 1 automobile. “And I really feel like, I imply, leaping in FP1 this weekend is essentially the most comfy I felt all 12 months and I really feel like I used to be right away on it,” described Sargeant to the media, together with SB Nation, in Miami. “And if I look since Australia, I really feel prefer it’s been going comparatively nicely, from Japan, getting nearly every part out of it.
“In fact, China was disappointing. However once more, right here right now, I really feel like I did a superb job. Simply searching for that final tenth, however nonetheless, simply having fun with it, being dwelling and, and maintain delivering one of the best I can.”
However whereas Sargeant has made progress, it has not been sufficient.
And now, Williams goes in a distinct path.
The staff introduced on Monday that they’ve reached settlement on a contract with Carlos Sainz Jr., beginning subsequent season. Having already introduced a brand new multi-year cope with Alexander Albon, that signifies that Sargeant is now on the surface wanting it at Williams.
And maybe in F1 altogether.
What may very well be subsequent for the American driver?
Replace: Williams introduced on August 27 that Sargeant would get replaced on the staff for the rest of the season, with Williams Academy driver Franco Colapinto taking his seat for the remainder of the F1 marketing campaign.
One other F1 seat?
May Sargeant in some way land a seat with one other staff?
Whereas which may appear unlikely, given how issues have ended at Williams, it’s a theoretical risk. As outlined above Sargeant has made progress this season, and whereas it may not have been sufficient to avoid wasting his seat at Williams, there are nonetheless groups with open spots for 2025.
These groups embody Alpine and Sauber, forward of that staff changing into the Audi works operation in 2026.
Alpine has already introduced that Esteban Ocon will probably be leaving on the finish of 2024, and present experiences point out that the staff is hoping to retain Pierre Gasly for 2025, maybe pairing him with Jack Doohan, the staff’s present reserve driver. Mick Schumacher, who competes for Alpine within the World Endurance Championship, can also be an choice, together with different present drivers who’re competing on expiring contracts.
As for Sauber, with Hülkenberg already signed for one seat the staff may look to retain one in every of their two present drivers (Valtteri Bottas or Zhou Guanyu), however Sargeant may very well be into account there.
Nevertheless, this does appear to be the least-likely path for Sargeant in the mean time.
A transfer to IndyCar?
May Sargeant comply with within the footsteps of different drivers, and carve out a reputation for himself in IndyCar?
The IndyCar discipline is about to develop to 29 groups for subsequent season, following the announcement that Italian staff Prema Racing will discipline two automobiles full-time within the sequence in 2025. Whereas lots of these seats are solidified for subsequent season, there may very well be some open spots for Sargeant. And a transfer to IndyCar could be an incredible alternative for Sargeant, and he drove for Prema Racing again in 2020, when he positioned third within the F3 Championship.
May Prema make a splash transfer by including an American driver to their lineup as they be part of the IndyCar grid?
The pairing appears to make a little bit of sense, and has gained some help over the previous week with experiences surfacing that Sargeant could have already put pen to paper on a cope with Prema to maneuver to IndyCar with them subsequent season.
May Sargeant transfer to the WEC?
Whereas a transfer to IndyCar may very well be an choice for Sargeant — a probable path given latest experiences and one which sees him comply with a path many former F1 drivers have adopted — he may additionally take an identical path drivers resembling Nyck de Vries and Mick Schumacher have adopted lately, and make the transfer to the World Endurance Championship.
After dropping his seat at AlphaTauri (now Visa Money App RB F1 Crew) De Vries returned to the WEC world, and is driving for Toyota Gazoo Racing this season. The staff is coming off a second-place end ultimately weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
As for Schumacher, along with his reserve driver position with Mercedes he joined Alpine’s entry within the WEC. Whereas they endured a disappointing weekend at Le Mans, that has saved Schumacher’s title close to the highest of the potential choices to interchange Ocon at Alpine subsequent season.
Taking the heart beat of the followers
Because of the rising neighborhood of followers on “F1 Threads” I carried out somewhat extra … let’s simply describe it as “analysis” this week. I put Sargeant’s choices for 2025 to a vote. The 4 choices? Staying in F1, a transfer to IndyCar, a transfer to the WEC, and “different,” the place respondents have been prompted to submit their suggestion.
And a transfer to IndyCar was the overwhelming response.
Out of 191 responses 81% of them — or 155 voters — chosen IndyCar as Sargeant’s subsequent vacation spot:
For these studying this on Apple Information, the outcomes on Threads may be considered right here.
Returning to that February in New York Metropolis, James Vowles said that we’d see a way more assured Sargeant this season. Once more, that has largely been the case, but it surely was not sufficient to maintain him at Williams.
However that confidence ought to serve him nicely at his subsequent cease, wherever that’s.
Editor’s notice: With Esteban Ocon signing for Haas, that’s not an choice for Sargeant.
