Will Buxton reacts to Felipe Drugovich news, it could have huge significance for Logan Sargeant

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Aston Martin have confirmed that Felipe Drugovich will continue as their Reserve Driver going into 2024 in what could be a big boost to Logan Sargeant’s chances of staying at Williams.

Journalist Will Buxton reacted to the story of social media and highlighted the potential importance to the American rookie.

Of the 20 seats currently on the grid, 19 have already been confirmed for 2024.

The only team yet to decide on their driver pairing is Williams, with Alex Albon still unsure who will be his teammate going into next season.

There was talk recently that Felipe Drugovich could be ready to take that seat.

The 2022 F2 champion has been testing for Aston Martin this season and replaced Lance Stroll in pre-season after he injured his wrist in a cycling accident.

The Brazilian is undoubtedly very fast but will be keen not to sit on the sidelines for too long.

However, Drugovich won’t be replacing Sargeant at Williams going into 2024 and considering the mood at Aston Martin right now, he might fancy his chance of being on the grid sooner rather than later anyway.

Rumours that Fernando Alonso might retire have been quashed but Stroll is far from performing at his best level.

Drugovich confirmation good news for Sargeant’s Williams hopes

Aston Martin made the announcement this afternoon and said: “Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team is delighted to confirm that Felipe Drugovich will continue in his role as Test & Reserve Driver for 2024 and participate in Free Practice One at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.”

The team’s principal Mike Krack was delighted to retain the 23-year-old and said: “Everyone at Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team is incredibly pleased that Felipe will be staying with us in 2024.

“He’s a familiar face within the team; he understands the particular demands of the role, has a tremendous work ethic, and has shown his speed and experience after stepping in superbly for an injured Lance Stroll during pre-season testing in Bahrain.”

There was no sign in Drugovich’s statement that he was disappointed to be missing out on a race seat in F1 in 2024 and added: “I’m really proud to be continuing to work with Aston Martin for a second season. This year, I’ve learnt a huge amount – not just at the racetrack, but working with the engineers in the simulator and from the development programme that was designed for me.”

Reacting to the news that Drugovich would be staying with the British team, Will Buxton pointed out that Sargeant’s chance of staying at Williams might just have increased.

Posting on social media, he commented: “Not an insignificant announcement given Felipe [Drugovich] was understood to be one of the very few drivers with a potential eye on the second berth at Williams.”

Sargeant hasn’t had the easiest start to life in Formula 1. The Williams is one of the slowest cars on the grid and he’s constantly being compared to Alex Albon, who has had a phenomenal year.

However, he’s also been inconsistent at times and put his car in the barriers on more occasions than the team would like.

It speaks volumes that no confirmation has come through yet and Sargeant may need to have three strong weekends at the end of the campaign to secure his spot on the grid next year.