‘Nobody thinks’ £15k-a-week Formula 1 driver should now be in his current seat

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The world of Formula 1 is brutal and drivers and judged harshly on a race-by-race basis with only 20 seats available on the grid.

The pressure is already building on some drivers just three races into the 2024 F1 season.

Speaking on the Inside The Piranha Club Podcast, journalist Rebecca Clancy gave her view on one particular driver who hasn’t had the best campaign so far.

There are already suggestions that Daniel Ricciardo is driving to save his seat with his bid to rejoin the Red Bull team faltering.

Liam Lawson is waiting in the wings but his management has denied any knowledge that the Kiwi will be jumping into Ricciardo’s seat any time soon.

However, no one had a worse weekend than Logan Sargeant after he had to give up his chassis to Alex Albon after his big crash in practice.

Sargeant only just held onto his seat at Williams for this season after failing to impress in his rookie campaign.

The signs so far suggest that he might have a difficult time earning another contract extension for 2025 and beyond.

Logan Sargeant’s Williams seat already looking at risk

Given the improvements in reliability in Formula 1 in recent years, it’s very rare for a race to start without all 20 cars on the grid.

Drivers occasionally start from the pit lane or worst-case scenario have a technical fault on the warm-up lap that stops them from starting the race.

It’s been a long time since a team has only entered one car in qualifying and ultimately Williams’s gamble didn’t pay off.

The team didn’t have a spare chassis in Melbourne with the development of the FW46 over-running in the winter.

That left team principal James Vowles with a tricky call as Albon’s car was irreparable after a big shunt in turn six during FP1.

He decided to hand Sargeant’s Williams chassis to his teammate, leaving him without a seat for the Grand Prix.

Instead, he was left to take up a support role for the rest of the Grand Prix, highlighting his number-two status within the team to the rest of the world.

Australian Grand Prix snub leaves Sargeant in difficult position

Talking about the decision made by Williams, Clancy said: “I think it’s as simple as what you said, [Alex] Albon smashed up his car, compromised his own weekend, end of conversation.

“I think Williams need to take a long, hard look at themselves as to why they are continuing with Logan Sargeant.

“Nobody thinks he should be in that seat. Well he does, and Mr Sargeant his incredibly wealthy billionaire father who brings a lot of money thinks he should be in that seat.

“But I think it was a really, really bad look for Williams. There was no way to PR your way out of it.

“In the end, Albon finished 11^th which was almost a bit like well Williams you got what you deserved.

“I think, yes it is unfair but I also understand is sport and it’s a business and it will come down to one or two points at the end of the year and it could have come down to this moment if Albon had managed to get the points.

“But I think it was a mess, I think it looks bad for F1.”

Logan Sargeant must bounce back in Suzuka

The £15,000-a-week driver has so much to prove with speculation over his future extending beyond the final Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi last season.

Although there were plenty of exciting rookies not on the grid, Vowles put his faith in the young American.

An issue ruined his race in Bahrain and he was some way off the pace in Saudi Arabia.

Albon scored all but one of Williams’s points last season and you can see the logic behind their decision.

However, the feeling that Sargeant shouldn’t be in his Williams seat is only going to grow unless he can match his teammate’s pace quickly.

There are drivers in Formula 2 right now that could feasibly take Sargeant’s seat, such as Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Williams like Oliver Bearman too and if Haas decide to stick with their current driver line-up then they could benefit from bringing in the exciting young Brit.