Sargeant looks to make lasting impression on home soil

With eight races left in the 2023 season, Verstappen has an excellent chance of extending the F1 record he set in 2022 with 15 trips to the top of the podium.

Even so, the season isn’t over yet: the earliest Verstappen could clinch is at the United States Grand Prix at the end of October, so the rest of the pack is still alive…for the moment.

One driver to keep an eye on is American-born Logan Sargeant, who’s midway through his rookie season in F1 while competing for Williams-Mercedes, but has yet to convince he is made for the pinnacle of the sport.

Being the only competitor in the F1 standings who was born in the United States, Sargeant is an easy pick to root for any American F1 fan. Here’s a look at how Sargeant has fared in his rookie season, and what could be next for the talented young driver.

Sargeant began racing at the age of seven, taking part in kart races. While he was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Sargeant moved to Europe when he was 12 years old to further his career on the karting circuit across the pond: perhaps that’s how he got his start in Formula races instead of NASCAR like most American drivers.

He rose through the ranks quickly, competing in Formula 3 as a teenager before making the jump to F2 in late 2021. After a fourth-place finish for Williams last season, good enough to earn the requisite number of Super License points for a promotion to F1, he joined the brand’s flagship team at the pinnacle of the sport: Williams fans can support the team and Logan Sergeant by getting in on the action using a BetMGM North Carolina bonus code.

At just 22 years old, Sargeant hopes to be a part of F1 for years to come. With that being said, he’s had a difficult debut season against some of the best racers in the world. Without any wins or podium finishes this season, Sargeant sits in 19th place in the standings as of the Italian Grand Prix, which took place last weekend.

His best finish of the season came back in July, when he earned 11th place in the British Grand Prix, 23 seconds behind Verstappen, who ended up winning the race. It might take him some time to get used to the breakneck speeds of F1, as he’s struggled with crashes this season, retiring from three races because of them: he’s crashed in a couple more races too, while still managing to finish the race in spite of the damage.

Other hiccups have occurred that weren’t entirely in his control, like when his tires degraded during the Monaco Grand Prix. Williams hasn’t won a constructor’s championship in F1 since 1997 (three years before Sargeant was even born), so it’s not like they’re the golden standard they once were… but even so, you must make the best with what you’ve been given.

After an ugly spinout at the Dutch Grand Prix in late August, rumors swirled that the writing could be on the wall for Sargeant’s future with Williams: he could be racing for his job over the final months of the season.

The good news for the young racer and fans is that he rebounded nicely after the ugly moment, finishing 13th at the Italian Grand Prix: Sneaking into the top half of finishers and stealing a few points over the next few races will help him make the case that he belongs on the circuit.

Similarly, being back in his homeland with the upcoming American leg of races could give the young driver a boost. With the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, and the rebooted Las Vegas Grand Prix in Sin City in the final five weeks of the season, Sargeant could put on a show for his home crowds.

He’s taken part in one F1 race in the States so far, the Miami Grand Prix. He finished 20th in that race, hampered by the dramatic turns, but with the better part of a season under his belt… and the added incentive of proving his place among the top dogs in the sport, it’ll be interesting to see how Sargeant responds to the pressure.