Speculation surrounding the future of Logan Sargeant has begun to swirl with the American the only driver on the F1 grid without a contract for 2024.
Scuderia AlphaTauri confirmed over the Japanese Grand Prix that Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda will remain with the team for next year.
Read More: All 2024 F1 driver contracts
It leaves the seat alongside Alex Albon at Wiliams as the only one yet to be resolved.
Sargeant graduated to Formula 1 this season, the first American at the sport’s pinnacle since Scott Speed, who droved for Toro Rosso in 2006 and 2007.
It’s been a difficult campaign for Sargeant with a car that has typically featured towards the back end of the grid.
There have been points finishes for Albon, who has scored all of the team’s 22 points.
Sargeant meanwhile is the only full-time driver yet to get off the mark in 2024 – if one excuses Daniel Ricciardo and Nyck de Vries.
Publicly he has the support of team boss James Vowles, who has made it clear that provided there is progress being made, he’ll be given the opportunity.
However, mistakes in Singapore and Japan have heaped pressure on the Florida native with other drivers waiting in the wings.
Liam Lawson has put in a good account of himself though it’s unlikely Red Bull would be willing to farm him out to Williams.
The Grove-based operation is looking for stability and a driver it can build with, while Lawson is looking for a temporary home ahead of returning to the Red Bull fold in 2025.
Felipe Drugovich is another name that has been mentioned in conjunction with the drive and is arguably a more credible option.
The Brazilian won the 2022 Formula 2 championship and has spent this season working as reserve driver with Aston Martin.
He has strong backing from his homeland that could be appealing to Williams, though it should be noted the squad is not desperate for funding as it once was.
That doesn’t mean it will say no immediately to the prospect of commercial income courtesy of a driver, it’s long been a common revenue source for teams, and Vowles has admitted that team owners Dorilton Capital doesn’t want to be continually tipping in cash to subsidise it (even if that does currently generate a positive return).
Sargeant was only confirmed in the team last November after securing the points needed for an FIA Super Licence courtesy of his F2 results last year.
He had initially been announced by the team at the United States Grand Prix a month earlier, though hung on his ability to gain the requisite licence.
Sargeant has previously admitted that, in the grand scheme of things, he’s not far off Albon in terms of driving and it is more a cumulative effect of the differences.
“It’s actually very, very small things,” he said, “but the small things that make a big difference.
“There were points in the year where I was simply holding the brake too late into the corners and slowing the minimum speed down too much.
“[I’ve] Gotten on top of that.
“Just inputs in high-speed corners causing instabilities, things like that,” he added.
“It’s all just very minor driving traits that needed to be adjusted; peak of brakes, loads of things, just to suit the car better that didn’t really affect the balance of a car in Formula 2, and with how sensitive these cars are, those small differences may make quite a significant difference.”
While Williams is expected to retain Sargeant for 2024, he is not unrivalled for the drive and can scarcely afford more errors.
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