Williams to confirm Logan Sargeant for 2023? COTA announcement teased

Jamie Woodhouse
Logan Sargeant debuts with Williams. United States, October 2022.

Logan Sargeant makes his Formula 1 debut with Williams during practice at COTA. United States, October 2022.

Williams CEO and team principal Jost Capito hinted that Williams may complete their 2023 driver line-up at the United States GP.

While ‘silly season’ is now starting to calm down with most of the 2023 grid confirmed, a few pieces of the puzzle are yet to fall into place.

That is because there are still a few seats up for grabs for next season, one of them at Haas and the other with Williams.

Alex Albon will continue with the team after agreeing a multi-year contract extension, but for Nicholas Latifi, his third season with the Grove outfit will be his last, the team confirming that the Canadian racer will depart at the end of the campaign.

Multiple names have been linked with the vacancy, including Nico Hulkenberg, Mick Schumacher and Williams junior Logan Sargeant.

Nyck de Vries, who stood in for the ill Albon at Monza, revealed he was holding talks with Williams before ultimately agreeing to join AlphaTauri for 2023.

Out of the remaining contenders, Sargeant has emerged as the favourite to step up to the Williams line-up, should he secure the top-five finish in the Formula 2 standings which he needs in order to collect the necessary Super Licence points.

Sargeant took part in FP1 for Williams at the United States GP, his home race, finishing the session P19.

And when Capito was asked on Amp’s ‘Fast & Loose’ show about the chances of an American driver being on the 2023 grid, Capito replied: “Follow the news and you might see something on Saturday.”

A tease then from the Williams chief, who recently has talked up Schumacher as a candidate to join the team.

Mick Schumacher on the grid with Daniel Ricciardo and George Russell. Singapore October 2022
Haas driver Mick Schumacher on the grid with Daniel Ricciardo and George Russell. Singapore October 2022

Despite improving as the 2022 campaign has gone on, Schumacher is facing the very real prospect of being shown the exit door by Haas at the end of the season.

“Yes, of course,” Capito told RTL/ntv when asked if Schumacher was a candidate. “Mick is an option, he also deserves to stay in Formula 1. We’ll see if that happens, but he’s definitely an option for us.

“He is now in his second year, if you look at George Russell, he made mistakes in his second year at Williams and still developed.

“Formula 1 is very complex and the step from Formula 2 is so big because the cars are so complex and technically more demanding. You have to learn that, you have to give a driver two years to get there and show what he can do in the third year.”

Read more: Mick Schumacher should move to ‘better team’ Williams, says Emerson Fittipaldi