Jost Capito sends Williams clear Logan Sargeant advice as F1 makes rookie worse

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Jost Capito believes the pressure Logan Sargeant faces in the Williams garage to stay in Formula 1 is making the American rookie a worse driver after a tough Japanese GP.

The 22-year-old is fighting for a future on the Formula 1 grid after struggling to step up from Formula 2. Capito brought Sargeant through from the feeder series whilst team principal at Williams last year. But James Vowels replaced him with the Grove-based squad this January.

Sargeant took Nicholas Latifi’s seat at Williams having been with the team’s driver academy since October 2021. He impressed the outfit after finishing third in the Formula 3 standings in 2020. The Florida native would then finish fourth in his rookie F2 campaign through 2022.

Capito believes Sargeant is wilting under the pressure at Williams

Capito saw the potential for Sargeant to progress further in F1 having claimed two wins and two pole positions in F2. But Formula 1 is still yet to see the Fort Lauderdale-born racer find his feet fully. He is the only full-time driver still yet to score a single point through 16 rounds.

Last Sunday’s Japanese GP saw Sargeant struggle again after crashing in qualifying before retiring in the race. Capito feels the American was showing signs of promise in Q1 before his off. So, it is clear to him that Williams need to take the pressure off for Sargeant to improve.

“Last year in Formula 2, but also in the years before, he became stronger and stronger under pressure,” Capito explained on the Formel1.de YouTube channel. “He showed that pressure inspires him. I have the impression that that’s not the case at the moment.

“Rather, when the pressure increases, he tends to make even more mistakes. In qualifying on Saturday he was up to the last corner – where he made the mistake – on the Alex Albon time. So, in terms of speed, he’s getting better.

“It seems that the pressure makes him fast, that he can drive fast and put in good times. But then he makes smaller mistakes that then have bigger cause and effect. If you really want to stand by him and keep him, you have to take the pressure off him and let him drive freely.”

Sargeant showed promise before his own errors at Suzuka

Sargeant near enough matched Albon’s time through sectors one and two at Suzuka with his first flying lap in Q1. But the American was too eager to get onto the throttle out of the final chicane. His exuberance drifted Sargeant wide and onto the grass, before he crashed hard.

The 22-year-old destroyed his car and forced Williams to build a third chassis for him to race on Sunday. It also drew a pit lane start plus a 10-second time penalty and Sargeant admits it was his mistake in qualifying. But his problems continued into the Japanese Grand Prix, too.

Pressure from Valtteri Bottas tempted Sargeant to lock up at the Turn 11 hairpin before they crashed. The Williams gem wanted to hold the inside line but drifted high as the Alfa Romeo driver attempted an overtake. The Finn’s move around the outside meant there was contact.

Williams are already looking for possible replacements

Williams ultimately retired Sargeant as a result of the progressive damage he sustained from the incident. It was his third retirement of the season after a technical issue in Canada and a hydraulics failure in the Netherlands. But he also crashed at the Dutch GP after reaching Q3.

It was Sargeant’s error after drifting onto the damp line that saw him crash out of Q3 having reached it for the first time in Formula 1 at Zandvoort. Now, he has six more rounds to try to save his career. Williams are already looking for potential replacements who could take over.

Reports by Blick note that Williams have spoken to Felipe Drugovich about the Aston Martin reserve driver replacing Sargeant. The Brazilian may even get the seat before the end of the year. But Williams are reluctant to drop Sargeant before home races in Austin and Las Vegas.