Oscar Piastri has admitted that he send Logan Sergeant a message after news broke that the American had lost his F1 drive with Williams.
On Wednesday it was confirmed that Sargeant had been replaced at Williams with rookie Franco Colapinto.
It came after days of intense speculation over the American’s future and had seen both Liam Lawson and Mick Schumacher linked to the drive.
Sargeant had struggled through 2024 and is one of only three drivers without points after the opening 15 races.
Last week in Zandvoort, he crashed out of final practice in wet conditions, the damage sufficient to rule him out of qualifying too.
It was not the first incident he’s had this year, and following a race-ending crash in Canada and a heavy practice off in Japan.
At the Australian Grand Prix, he was hauled out of the car in favour of Alex Albon, who’d irreparably crashed his in practice.
The culmination was Williams elected to replace him before the end of the year.
“I sent him a text yesterday,” Piastri, who has previously said he was close with Sargeant.
“He seems okay. Obviously a little bit of a shock.
“It wasn’t an easy time for him in F1, you know. It was much more difficult for him than maybe I expected it to be.”
Piastri and Sargeant were teammates at Prema for the 2020 Formula 3 season, the American finishing third in a championship won by the Australian.
Sargeant made hi F1 debut last season, having secured his Super Licence courtesy of a rush program with Williams in late 2022.
His maiden campaign was challenging, punctuated by mistakes, though he did score points at the United States Grand Prix.
Hopes were high that he’d be able to build on that heading into his second year in F1.
Sargeant took to social media following confirmation of his exit from Williams, posting a now-deleted message.
“After today’s news, I wanted to say that I am super thankful to Williams Racing for giving me my first opportunity in Formula 1,” he wrote.
“I am so grateful for the support I received from everyone at the team from the moment I first joined the Academy back in 2021.
“Going on to drive an F1 car for the first time in Abu Dhabi was the experience of a lifetime, while becoming the first American points scorer for 30 years in Austin last season was a really special moment.
“I am proud to have represented such a historic team over the last two seasons. For now, I will be taking time to assess my options, before making an announcement on my future in due course.”
Sargeant’s future with Williams had long been decided, with the public courting of Carlos Sainz doing little to building his confidence – having had it shot when he was sidelined in Melbourne.
Piastri however believes his the 23-year-old is better than what he was able to deliver with Williams.
“For me, his potential was much greater than what was on show in F1, for whatever reason,” Piastri said.
“I know firsthand being his team-mate in the junior categories, racing him in basically everything, I know how quick he is.
“I don’t think the change was completely unexpected,” he added.
“Quite a bold move to put Franco in, I would say, but best of luck to him.
“Just a shame that [Sargeant] probably, for whatever reason, he wasn’t able to show everything that he’s got because in the junior categories, he was genuinely one of the quickest guys I went up against.
“His potential is much greater than what some people have seen.”
The 2024 season has not been an especially successful one for Williams thus far as it sits ninth in the constructors’ championship with four points, nine shy of Alpine in eighth.
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