Sargeant news shows Williams’ lack of ’courage’

As the bulk of Formula 1 journalists were preparing for a long-awaited weekend off at the end of an intense 2023 season, Williams completed the grid for the 2024 world championship.

With Logan Sargeant retained for next year, it marks the first time in history in which there will be no changes at all to the sport’s driver lineup from one season to the next.

"Logan has demonstrated immense skill whilst under the pressure of the world stage, making him a perfect fit for our team," team boss James Vowles said.

"We have great confidence in his abilities and believe that together we can achieve even greater success in the upcoming season."

Other candidates had been linked with Sargeant’s final spot on the 2024 grid, but Auto Motor und Sport believes the 22-year-old American ultimately secured the "valuable backing" of Williams’ new US-based owners Dorilton Capital.

As for the late Friday timing of the announcement, some believe it was clearly designed to give the news a lower-profile given Sargeant’s obvious performance struggle in his rookie season.

"The announcement was finally made at 5.30pm central European time," correspondent Tobias Gruner noted. "Apparently it was timed for the American driver’s home market."

But veteran F1 journalist Roger Benoit is among those who think Williams’ continued trust in Sargeant represents a team "without the courage to look to the future".

"The fact that Logan Sargeant has survived demonstrates nonsense or a lack of money," he wrote in the Swiss newspaper Blick.

"The American is statistically the worst driver of the season, with a single world championship point and 0-22 in the qualifying duel against Alex Albon."