“I was wrong about him”, James Vowles recalls the time he didn’t see Logan Sargeant as “F1 material”
James Vowles revealed that Logan Sargeant was on Toto Wolff's rader few years back.
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James Vowles. Image via Williams Racing.
James Vowles, Williams Racing’s team boss, is getting used to his new role. He was previously a chief strategist at Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team. Vowles had a lot of success with the Silver Arrows. But, as all good things come to an end, he left the team to focus on his next chapter in life. He was appointed as Williams’ team principal ahead 2023 season.
Vowles moved to Williams with all the experience and knowledge he gathered from his years at Mercedes. The new Williams team boss spoke about his two drivers, Alex Albon and the American rookie Logan Sargeant. Vowles revealed he first crossed paths with Sargeant when Mercedes had their eyes on the American, back when he was a Formula 3 driver.
Logan Sargeant was impressive in F3, and as a result of that, many teams kept him on their radar, including Mercedes. Vowles explained, “At the time in Mercedes we had a good suite of drivers. So that was where my relationship with him ended. Before I arrived at Williams, Williams funded, it’s very important to state this his Formula 2 career, so he is now salaried as a professional driver. Williams funded him because they had a deep belief that he was the real deal.”
Vowles further stated, “My reticence came from the fact that prior to that it’s difficult to really judge him. But, I have to say, he’s now been in the car, I now have the ability to look at his data, and he is here on merit. And as a result of Williams investing correctly in him, he’s now a professional driver, a deserving driver on the grid at the same time. So it just shows you that in my previous life, I was wrong and Williams was right.”
James Vowles is happy with his William’s driver line-up
Vowles was frank about his first impression of Logan Sargeant. He feels that he judged the American driver harshly before and admitted that it was a mistake. The Williams team boss can now see his driver’s potential and is impressed with him after looking at the statistics. Logan Sargeant had a good run at the Bahrain Grand Prix. He finished before the other two rookies and proved himself worthy of his seat.
Formula 1 has 20 drivers, and they are considered to be the best in the world. It is not easy to become an F1 driver. It takes years of hard work, determination, and passion for reaching the pinnacle of motorsports. The rookies are given 1-2 years to prove their worth in the sport. Therefore, Logan Sargeant will be watched closely by James Vowles. Sargeant has to be consistent throughout the year, while his debut in F1 went well, there are 22 races to go.
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Sugantha Meena
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