Managing F1 race pace key lesson for Sargeant
Logan Sargeant will make his F1 debut with Williams in 2023
Striking a balance between single-lap pace and managing the car throughout a stint is a skill Williams F1 driver Logan Sargeant is keen to develop.
Sargeant graduates to Formula 1 in 2023 after a successful campaign in Formula 2 last year.
The American will partner Alex Albon for the Grove-based operation which promoted him off the back of his fourth-place finish in the F2 title race.
Sargeant identified himself as one of that competition’s brightest prospects in 2022, taking Feature race wins in Silverstone and Red Bull Ring.
Those performances, which followed a string of consistent race weekends earlier in the campaign, encouraged Williams to accelerate his promotion to the sport’s top flight.
That saw him take part in Free Practice 1 in the final four rounds of 2022 as the team worked to boost his Super Licence points to ensure his eligibility to race this year.
He also took part in post-season testing in Abu Dhabi, giving him a healthy amount of experience in both F1 and F2 machinery.
Even still, he is aware of the challenge that awaits him, especially when it comes to managing a full grand prix distance.
“In terms of the actual driving, it’s simply how much faster everything’s coming at you; how much better the brakes are, how much more downforce you have, how much more grip you have,” Sargeant explained.
“All of that comes with a bit of a consequence in terms of race runs because it’s really important to look after the tyres and still drive fast at the same time.
“That’s quite a difficult balance to get right but I feel it’s something that, with experience, you just get used to and it starts to become a bit easier.
“But as you can imagine, it’s tricky to balance all those things together.”
Sargeant is one of three rookies joining the F1 grid for 2023, the others being 2021 F2 champion Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and 2019 winner Nyck de Vries (Scuderia AlphaTauri).
The Formula 1 season kicks off this weekend with pre-season testing from Thursday in Bahrain.
Teams will then remain at the Sakhir circuit for the opening round of the championship on March 2-5.
