When Williams unveiled its challenger for the 2024 F1 season, the FW46, Logan Sargent made it clear what was expected of him in his second season in the sport.
Consistency.
“I want to perform consistently throughout the season at the level that I know I can perform,” Sargent told me and other members of the media in New York City earlier this month. “And if we can do that, it will be a huge success.”
How does Sargent feel after completing the first 138 laps of the 2024 season?
Mostly positive.
“There were still some issues throughout the day, but the red flag definitely contributed to extending the session. Overall it was a positive day. I know I’m there,” Sargent said in a media report after the second day of pre-season testing, where he was behind the wheel in both the morning and afternoon sessions. “There are a lot of positives, although there are some things to fix. But I started to feel more comfortable throughout the day and I’m looking forward to getting back into the rhythm.”
After Wednesday’s session was shortened to just 21 laps due to a driveshaft issue, Sargent was named by Williams for both practice sessions and completed a whopping 117 laps. Only Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez completed more laps than second-year drivers.
However, the team has some issues to deal with and Sargent admits he is still “fighting” the car a bit.
“I’ve been fighting the car more than I would have liked, but they’ll come together quickly. It’s still a great day of experience for next weekend,” added Sgt. “The test ended so quickly that I really wanted another day, but it’s great to see Alex in the car tomorrow and for us to continue testing the car.”
Dave Robson, the team’s head of vehicle performance, praised Sargent’s efforts, noting that the driver had done a full race simulation during the day.
“We completed over 100 laps today, including a full race simulation. The car behaved well for most of the day and we were able to make good progress. “We ended each session a little earlier than planned. However, both issues are minor and are now understood and will be resolved tonight,” Robson said.
Sargent’s teammate Alexander Albon is scheduled to complete pre-season testing with Williams on Friday.
“Organ’s pre-season testing is complete. He did a good job today and we will hand over the car to Alex on the last day of testing before the racing season starts next week. There is still a lot of work to do, but we will see you again tomorrow. If we can have a productive day we will be in a good position for FP1 on Thursday,” Robson added.
Sargent’s return to the grid for the 2024 season came as a surprise to many. He scored a single point during his rookie season, leading many to believe that Williams would go in a different direction with this year’s driver lineup. But team principal James Vowles, who has emphasized a long-term approach since taking over at Williams last year, brought Sargent back for a second season.
Although early returns are mostly positive, Sargent’s next time behind the wheel of the FW46 will likely be in FP1 before the Bahrain Grand Prix. So what should you be careful about? Not only will Sargent maintain the confidence he has shown heading into the 2024 season, but whether he will be able to relax into each race weekend having learned what it takes to finish a weekend and season in F1. is.
We’ll be checking it out for the first time in the next few days.
