Williams’ rising US star Logan Sargeant set for winter testing…with Alpine
Logan Sargeant smiles while taking part in his first FP1 session as a Williams driver. Austin October 2022.
Alpine are open to helping Williams out by giving their 2023 driver Logan Sargeant some extra track time over the off-season.
Williams said that their junior driver Sargeant would become Alex Albon’s new team-mate from 2023 as long as he secured his Superlicence, the 21-year-old American doing so as he secured a P4 finish in the 2022 F2 standings.
Sargeant’s promotion was then confirmed by Williams on Monday, meaning he will become Formula 1’s first American driver since Alexander Rossi appeared for Marussia back in 2015.
And in order to get Sargeant fully prepared for next season, Williams could well have an ally in Alpine, who will entertain the idea of giving Sargeant an outing in one of their past Formula 1 cars.
Explaining why Alpine are willing to do this, team boss Otmar Szafnauer acknowledged Williams’ approach to Oscar Piastri, Alpine’s former junior and reserve driver who had a 2023 Williams seat on the table before leaving the fold to sign with McLaren.
“We wouldn’t be adverse to putting him in one of our old cars and running him,” Szafnauer told Motorsport.com.
“They were helpful with us [over Piastri], and it will be a big help for Logan to run in an F1 car – a two-year-old car now, but still relatively close. And if that’s what they decide to do, we’d be willing to look at it.
“It’s good to have a relationship with them just in case in the future we need each other, and if we can help them and make a bit of money from it, why not?”
Williams team boss Jost Capito also talked up the value of being on good terms with other teams, explaining that this was key to them securing the services of Alex Albon when he was in the Red Bull programme.
“I think we are friendly with all teams,” Capito told Motorsport.com. “Without being friendly with Red Bull, it couldn’t have happened with Alex.
“And with Mercedes we are a good customer, we are friendly with them. I think we are friendly with everybody. And if you compete on the track it doesn’t mean you can’t be friendly with other teams.”
Sargeant is set for further track time with Williams in the short-term future as he will take part in the Abu Dhabi Young Drivers’ Test on Tuesday with the team.
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