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Logan Sargeant set to be the first American to race in Formula 1 since 2015

Logan Sargeant will become the first American driver in Formula 1 since 2015 when he races in the inaugural race of the 2023 season.

Williams confirmed Monday that Sargeant would become the team’s No. 2 driver next season after he accrued enough points on his super license in Formula 2 in the season-ending weekend at Abu Dhabi. Sargeant will team with Alex Albon at the backmarker team and replace Nicholas Latifi.

“Since joining our driver academy at the end of 2021, Logan has been able to fully integrate with the team at Grove while on the simulator and more recently at track during the four Free Practice sessions he’s participated in,” Williams team principal Jost Capito said in a statement.

“He’s had a strong rookie season in Formula 2 and we are excited to watch him make the step up in Formula 1. We are here to support that journey with him.”

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - OCTOBER 28: Logan Sargeant of USA and Williams during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 28, 2022 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Peter J Fox/Getty Images )

The announcement that Sargeant would be moving to F1 in 2023 was a formality after Capito had indicated the 21-year-old would be a part of the team as long as he had enough super license points to qualify. The FIA’s super license system is designed for drivers to achieve a certain number of benchmarks in their career before they can participate in F1 races.

Sargeant, whose grandfather made billions in the oil industry, made his practice debut for Williams in the first practice session at Circuit of the Americas in Austin earlier this fall. When he lines up for the Bahrain Grand Prix in March he will be the first American to race in F1 since Alexander Rossi in 2015.

Rossi raced in five races in 2015 for the defunct Manor Marussia team and had a best finish of 12th at the United States Grand Prix. Scott Speed is the last American to race full-time in Formula 1 after he competed in all 18 races in 2006 and 10 of 17 races in 2007.

If Sargeant finishes in the top 10 at any point in his F1 career he will be the first American driver to score a point in F1 since Michael Andretti in 1993. Andretti finished third in his final F1 race at Monza that season.

A top-10 would be a fantastic result for Sargeant in 2023 unless Williams makes an unexpected leap forward. Albon and Latifi finished 19th and 20th in the standings among the 20 full-time drivers in 2022 and had six combined points while Nyck DeVries also scored two points with a ninth-place finish subbing for Albon at Monza.

If you’re a NASCAR fan and recognize Sargeant’s last name, it’s because his brother Dalton competed in 22 Truck Series races and 35 ARCA races from 2016-18.