Sargeant's departure & Is he going to IndyCar?

 

CHAPTER 1: Sargeant's F1 history don't start with him, first we need to talk about Nicholas Latifi!

Latifi is a Canadian racer, in 20216 he was a test driver for Renault, 2017, 18 he was tested by Renault (now rebranded as Alpine), Racing Point (rebranded as Aston Martin). In 2019 he became a Williams reserve driver alongside his F2 duties, F2 runner-up, on the following year, 2020, he got his seat in F1.

In his past he had proved he was good, but when you get in F1, maybe things don't go as well as you expect, specially  because Williams was still recovering from the disastrous 2019 season and in 2020, where due to COVID the season was out of the ordinary. Even with the difficulties, he was able to make some points, but he crashed a lot, then Abu Dhabi 2021 happened...

Because of what happened, he found himself subjected to ridiculous accusations, abuse and even death threats, the severity of which made him fear for his own safety that greatly affected his mental health and was made worse by comparisons with his teammates, Russell and later Albon. In 2022, when Nyck de Vries took the points at Monza, it looked to be the final for Latifi's hopes of staying for 2023.

There were rumors of Alpine’s plan to put Oscar Piastri at Williams for following year, making the confirmation that his contract would not be extended an unsurprising announcement. But we know the history Alonso left the team for Aston Martin, Alpine announced Piastri, the Australian driver made an amazing tweet, afterwards became a McLaren driver.

But Nina where Sargeant is in this story? Well, right here, without a driver for 2023, Williams looked for drivers, I will say: the rumors, because I wasn't at the room when they were discussing who would get the seat, so the rumors say that the Sargeant only got his seat for three reasons:

• He was a Williams junior driver
• He had good sponsors
• Dorilton Capital, the American private investment group, the owners of Williams F1 since 2021, and also Liberty Media wanted an American driver for marketing (the rumor was Colton Herta, but this is a polemic for another day)

So, Logan Sargeant got his seat!

CHAPTER 2: The 1 year and a half of Sargeant in F1
Let's start a little with Sargeant racing record before F1 - don't be good at the junior categories, don't necessary means don't be good at F1, and the same goes on the other way around don't be bad at the junior categories, don't necessary means don't be bad at F1 - I just put here for context. 

• 2008-16
• Karting
• 2016/17
• Formula 4 UAE Championship - 2nd
• 2017
• F4 British Championship certified by FIA powered by Ford - 3rd
• V de V Challenge Monoplace - 28th (3 races)
• Formula Renault 2.0 NEC - 23rd (2 races)
• Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup - (3 races)
• 2018
• Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup - 4th
• Formula Renault 2.0 NEC - 4th
• 2019
• FIA Formula 3 Championship - 19th
• Suncity Group
• Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix, FIA F3 World Cup - 3rd
• 2020
• FIA Formula 3 Championship - 3rd
• 2021
• FIA Formula 3 Championship - 7th
• European le Mans Series LMP2 class - 19th
• Michelin Le Mans Cup GT3 Drivers Championship - 6th
• Williams Racing Driver Academy Member
• FIA Formula 2 Championship - he race only 2 races
• 2022
• FIA Formula 2 Championship - 6th

In 2023, we could see Sargeant not making points, his only one point in that season was because Hamilton and Leclerc were disqualified in Austin, and he was crashing a lot. I really believe when he was promoted to a F1 seat, he wasn't prepare, he needed more time. We have receiving rumors about Williams wanting to replace Sargeant since last year, even names as Drugovich, 2022 F2 champion, appeared as option for it.
But way they renewed with him if they didn't trust him? Again, I will say: the rumors, because I wasn't at the room:

• He had good sponsors
• Dorilton Capital
• They didn't thought there was a better option

For 2024, in 15 rounds he didn't score, he DNF 3 times, his lowest was some P20, a lot of P17 and his highest P11 (in Silverstone). And almost every single week there was a rumor that Logan was being replace, I believe the first time was before the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. This year, we could see Sargeant doing silly mistakes, he crashed 3 times:

• This year in Miami, but it was Magnussen fault
• In Canada, this was he alone in a rain & mix condition track
• And now in the in Dutch Grand Prix, it was a mistake go so hard in a free practice? yep, specially one so close to the qualifying.

But let talk the round 3 this year that it was Melbourne, when Albon had a horrible crash and Vowles, the team principal decided to gave Logan's car to Alex, because Alex would have more chances to score, everyone knows that every single point counts, but that just show that you don't trust your driver.

As a said before, a lot rumors that Logan was being replace, always ignored, never was said it's a lie or anything like that. We also have Ericsson - Penski driver in IndyCar - saying that Sargeant and Vowels weren't talking anymore, the then Williams driver denied the Swedish driver's claims, but with all this I asked myself, was the American driver telling the truth or playing a pr game?
And then, Vowles started to said we wanted Sainz for next year, and he got it, Williams made 8 post about Sainz joined the team and only one in the middle about Logan's departure, one post a statement of James of 5 lines, and the caption only 2.

I have a degree in marketing, but you end up learning a little bit about public relations (PR), the best way to approach this was saying goodbye to Logan a breaking, make a post  with the team saying good things about him, one with the best memories, wait for some days and then release the news about Carlos and do what they did.

Oh... I almost forgot Williams team boss one day was talkative and said that he was negotiating with Sainz since the end of 2023, and it was like dating.
Now, Dutch Grand Prix, all the rumors were clam, on Saturday, Free Practice 3 Logan crashed, maybe I haven't seen, so I will ask you: were there any interview of James saying anything or a radio of the team principal asking if the American driver was okay?

On Saturday (24), the rumors started again after FP3, Vowels went to Wolff to negotiate for Schumacher, Horner confirmed that Vowles takt to him about Lawson, the rumors also said about both Brazilian drivers Bortoleto e Drugovich, and Franco Colapinto as well.
On this Tuesday (27), Williams posted the drivers statement about the Dutch race, later Erik van Haren posted on his Twitter that the British team would replace the American driver for the Argentine driver until the end of the the season, not long after Williams made the announcement.
And again Williams made the same mistake fist one post about Colapinto, and then one about Sargeant, when should be the other way around.

CHAPTER 3: Is replacing Logan for Franco the same thing?
Both bring a lot of money and sponsors? yes. But after a lot of reading I can't make my mind, but as a said: "don't be good at the junior categories, don't necessary means don't be good at F1, and the same goes on the other way around don't be bad at the junior categories, don't necessary means don't be bad at F1", but here is Franco's racing record before F1:

• 2013-17
• Karting
• 2018: 
• F4 Spanish Championship - 12th
• 2019
• F4 Spanish Championship - Champion Euroformula Open - 27th
• Formula Renault Eurocup - 3rd
• 2020
• Castrol Toyota Racing Series - 3rdFormula Renault Eurocup - 3rd
• 2021
• Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine - 6th
• Asian Le Mans Series, LMP2 - 3rd
• European Le Mans Series, LMP2 class - 4th
• FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Drivers24 Hours of Le Mans, LMP2 - 7th
• Intercontinental GT Challenge
• GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, Silver Cup - 24th
• 2022
• FIA Formula 3 Championship - 9th
• 2023
• FIA Formula 2 Championship (2 races) - 25th
• FIA Formula 3 Championship - 4th
• Williams Driver Academy Member
• 2024
• FIA Formula 2 Championship - at this moment, before his first race in a F1 seat he was the 6th

We will have to wait and see it.

CHAPTER 4: Is Williams and Logan still linked?
On the two lines post of Williams on social media said: "He will remain a member of the Williams family and we will be supporting him to continue his racing career.", I first thought know they want to play the PR game, but then I was watching a American content creator (Kaitlin with a K), and well let's go to parts
Logan wasn't the best driver, he was a little shy, but he was very good for Williams because on thing:
M A R K E T I N G 
He made a lot of marketing for Williams, Team Torque, meet and great, it was doing very well.
But if that quote really means that he's still part of Williams Driver Academy, it means that they are allowed to use his name, likeness, and any sponsor he brought in for the rest of the 2024 season.

CHAPTER 5: Allow me to just take ou some thought of my mind
I stayed up until 2am searching and writing this, when I wake up I realized it's finished yet, I have some more thoughts to get out, as a said before the oficial announcement, the rumors in the paddock of Sargeant be replaced started on Saturday, but I believe on Sunday the drivers, at least some drivers already knew that was Logan's last day.
There is a video that after a lot of research I really believe that is the a Lando interview post race on Sunday, on the back we can see it the Russell telling something to Ricciardo and the Australian driver being perplexed. Can it be another thing they were talking about? Of course.

@f1_driver7 Yo quiero saber que le dijo #georgerussell #georgerussell63 #chisme #danielricciardo #chismoso #F1 #f1tiktok #CapCut ♬ Funny - Gold-Tiger

But I Russell is close of his team boss, Toto Wolff, the first person that allegedly Vowles went look for to try to get a replacement for Sargeant, also Russell is the director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association since 2021, I wouldn't be surprise If he already knew it.
I saw a lot of people commenting the same things that I agree so here it's:

• Williams prematurely promoted Logan Sargeant to F1 because they wanted Nicholas Latifi gone.
• Now, Williams is prematurely promoting Franco Colapinto to F1 because they wanted Logan Sargeant gone.

The days of the British team being able to paint the team as one big happy family are long gone, they are creating a toxic cycle of failing their own academy drivers, I like Logan and I hope whatever will be his future I hope him to be happy. I don't like the way Colapinto arrived in F1, but I wish him luck, he will need.

This team is completely lost, If Wowles was brought there to organize it, but I think he is probably making a big mess to then later organize, maybe it’s just easy for me to say this because I’m writing while I'm sitting on my bed and not in the paddock. At the end of the day, we can be sad for Logan, wish Franco good luck, but we need to remind F1 teams are a business, and this “family” image is for PR then all of this wouldn’t seem so disingenuous.

Okay, now I finished with Williams, the final chapter will be about "Logan is going to IndyCar",  I hope for, but why we can not affirm that yet

CHAPTER 6: Is Logan Sargeant going to IndyCar?
The answer right now, at this exactly moment, is NOT. I know his name as supposed future in IndyCar driver has been saying at it was truth a long time.

First IndyCar Series there are 2 categories the NTT, you can imagine like F1, while NXT you can imagina as F2, to make things easier I will call NTT only as IndyCar, while NXT I will call as NXT.
I love IndyCar, it's my favorite motorsport, I may still learning the rules but I have FOMO so I know the gossip. There are a lot of rumors about Enzo Fittipaldi and his brother, Pietro Fittipaldi, that already is a IndyCar driver, be on the same team, Drugovich doing test, some young drivers NXT are trying to be on IndyCar next year.

Right now, normally which race we have 27 cars, some races there are more, but this month IndyCar made a proposal for charter system for teams, They have been negotiating to implement the charter system in the 2025 season, inspired by what NASCAR did starting in 2016. According to the American newspaper IndyStar, no deadline was set for the response, that is, it is not possible to say when the agreement will be announced.

What is a charter system?
In NASCAR, charters are like franchises for 36 cars in the series, each car with a charter receives a guaranteed entry into each race and a larger share of the prize money. In exchange, teams can sell the charters if they downsize or close.
IndyCar's proposal is similar: a charter would guarantee a starting position in all races (except the Indy 500), make the team eligible for one of the 22 spots in the Leaders Circle, and that spot could also be sold.

Why establish a charter system?

• Limit the grid; drivers and teams have been complaining about traffic, especially in practice. Not to mention that some tracks can no longer accommodate the 27 cars (considering here only the cars that will compete in all the 2024 races)
• Add value to the spots in IndyCar; the car that competed in the full season this year will be included in the charter system, but each team will only be allowed a maximum of three cars, which would be guaranteed a spot in all the races in the category, except the Indy 500.

But what about Chip Ganassi and Prema?
If the charter system is actually approved, two Ganassi franchises would be out, and Prema, which had announced that it would join next year with two franchises, would also be out, since all races, except the Indy 500, will be limited to 27 cars. The Italian team has not lost hope, it already has a headquarters in the USA in Fishers, on the outskirts of Indianapolis, and is also hiring employees. It is just waiting to see how the charters will turn out before closing deals with the drivers. According to GRANDE PREMIO, Prema has already reached an agreement with Rinus VeeKay, who is waiting for the guarantee that he will have a place on the grid to close the deal.

On the rumors, Sargeant name is only linked with Prema, this link just exist because was already a Prema driver!! At least right now not even the team are sure that it will be on it, so it's not right to affirm the American driver will be at IndyCar next year, we hope if he goes, or goes to another championship that he will have a brighter future.

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So, see you soon!
Fondly, Nina