Jenson Button raves about 23-year-old Formula 1 driver who has ‘won everything’

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When a Formula 1 world champion talks up your abilities on the track, then it makes a lot of sense to listen.

Jenson Button had a career in F1 that spanned well over a decade and after spells with Williams and McLaren went on to win the 2009 championship with Brawn GP.

He was speaking to SB Nation and talked up the abilities of one driver who hasn’t been having the best time this season.

Reaching Formula 1 is a huge achievement in itself, particularly when there are only 20 cars on the grid and a reluctance to offer rookies a chance.

This season highlighted that even a driver who might not be performing at their peak was less of a gamble than a young driver coming through Formula 2 or waiting in the wings as a reserve driver with no driver changes taking place over the winter for the first time.

However, the driver market this year will shake up the grid and a dozen drivers are fighting for their F1 futures.

Button was quick to talk up the ability of Williams youngster Logan Sargeant despite his difficult start to 20224.

The 23-year-old American hasn’t scored a point this season, but neither has more experienced teammate Alex Albon.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t paint a full picture of how the first four race weekends have gone…

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Jenson Button raves about Williams star Logan Sargeant

There were a few raised eyebrows when it was announced at the end of last season that Sargeant would be staying at Williams for another year.

He only managed to score a single point during his rookie campaign and that was thanks to two disqualifications in Austin.

Difficult races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were followed up by a rare ‘Did Not Qualify’ in Australia after handing his undamaged chassis to Albon following the Thai driver’s huge crash in practice.

Sargeant then had to use Albon’s repaired chassis in Japan but didn’t even complete a flying lap in FP1 before he spun out.

The pressure was on the American to perform during the race after Albon’s crash, but another mistake saw him finding the gravel and finishing last behind the two Alpines.

Jenson Button has suggested that he’s got faith in Sargeant and that the Williams driver’s previous results in other series suggest he’s capable of more than he’s showing.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Williams Racing from team principal to Mercedes relationship

Sargeant has the talent, he now needs to produce results

Talking about the 23-year-old, Button said: “I mean, he’s got a really competitive teammate [in Alexander Albon]. You can say, ‘Well, that’s, that’s tough. Because you’ve got to be on your game every race.’

“But it’s kind of what Formula One is, right?

“If you’re not going to go up against the best of them, what’s the point? At some point, you’re going to have to race against the best in the world to win a world championship.

“Because he has the talent, he’s won everything, you know, especially karting. When I see that someone’s done so well in karting, which is so competitive, I know that he has the talent.

“And then it comes down to whether you’re in the right frame of mind, whether your headspace is correct because it’s all a mental game, the sport, it really is.”

Time running out for Sargeant to save his Formula 1 career

Despite Button’s faith in Sargeant, Williams may start to consider their options if his results don’t improve.

His contract runs until the end of the season and there have already been suggestions that he’s fighting a losing battle to still be on the grid in 2025.

There’s even talk that Sargeant could be replaced this year, with Mercedes youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli looking for a seat on the grid.

The minimum Sargeant needs to do right now is match Albon’s pace and results.

Unfortunately, that appears to be less and less likely with each passing race weekend.