An American driver is poised to enter Formula 1 for the first time since 2015, when Alexander Rossi drove for Marussia.
Current Formula 2 driver Logan Sargeant is set to join Williams in 2023 after securing enough points in the 2022 F2 season to gain an FIA Super License, which he achieved on Saturday at an F2 race in Abu Dhabi.
Sargeant, 21, already drove for Williams during practice rounds at several grands prix in 2022 as part of the team’s young driver academy. The team announced in October he would have a seat in 2023 if he earned his Super License, which is a requirement for F1.
“We feel he’s ready to race,” Jost Capito, Williams’ team principal, said at the time. “Under the condition that he has enough Super License points after Abu Dhabi, he will be our second driver next year.”
Sargeant will fill the seat of Nicholas Latifi, who has left F1 now that the 2022 season has concluded. Sargeant’s teammate at Williams in 2023 will be current driver Alex Albon.
Sargeant finished the 2022 F2 season fourth in the drivers’ standings. He also scored the F2 Rookie of the Year award.
With the impending formal announcement of Sargeant’s seat at Williams, the 2023 driver lineup will be complete. Sargeant will be joined next season by fellow rookies Nyck de Vries, who joins AlphaTauri, and Oscar Piastri, who joins McLaren. Nico Hülkenberg is also set to return to F1 as a full-time driver with Haas. To make way for these new drivers, Sebastian Vettel, Mick Schumacher, Daniel Ricciardo, and Latifi are all leaving the sport.