F1 team principal insists driver has to 'EARN' place on 2024 grid

drivers, grid, 2023 — Photo: © LAT Images

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F1 team principal insists driver has to 'EARN' place on 2024 grid

There are still a few spots to be filled on the F1 grid for 2024

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 2 September 2023 09:57

Williams team principal James Vowles has insisted that Logan Sargeant must 'earn' his place in Formula 1 next season, after the American has faced pressure over his future in the sport.

Sargeant's F1 career has not got off to the best of starts, with the rookie yet to score a point in a Williams car that looks much improved compared to last season.

His team-mate Alex Albon, in comparison, has scored 15 points in the car so far this season, and is up in 13th in the drivers' championship.

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Sargeant's fortunes haven't been helped by the fact he ended up in the barriers twice last weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix. Once in qualifying, and once in the race.

This is piling the pressure on the young American and Williams haven't yet decided whether he should drive for them in 2024, or whether they should take a different direction.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Vowles said, "Alex [Albon] is here for the long-term, I can tell you that already. In terms of where Logan is, he’s on the right path to developing.

"He has to just keep stepping up race on race, but it’s more about working with him and more as we did with George [Russell] back then, less so about contracts in that circumstance.

"The comments I’ve given to him [Sargeant], is this: It's a meritocracy, you’re not here just because we want you to be here. You have to earn your place."

Formidable team-mate

Alex Albon has outperformed Logan Sargeant so far this season

Sargeant is unlucky in that he is yet another struggling driver whose team-mate is in imperious form.

Albon was disappointed last time out with eighth place, and with the pace they have shown in recent races, he may well even challenge for a podium between now and the end of the season.

Like Lance Stroll at Aston Martin and Sergio Perez at Red Bull, it seems unrealistic at the moment that Sargeant could challenge his team-mate, but to have not scored a point in the car yet this season would disappoint the American.

There have been some promising performances, such as last time out at the Dutch GP when he managed to make it into Q3 for the first time in his career.

However, that was compounded by two big mistakes to leave the weekend feeling pretty miserable overall.

“This is the pinnacle of motorsport and what I’m asking from you is follow this general guidance, follow this development path, keep moving forward relative to Alex, and there’s a place for you here, with your name on it," Vowles continued.

"Before then, there’s points with your name on it. Some were available at Zandvoort if everything went perfectly, there is this weekend as well. Earn those, and it’s how you earn basically your pathway into Formula 1."