Miami Grand Prix: Logan Sargeant lone American in Formula 1 race enjoys time at Lighthouse Point
MIAMI GARDENS — Logan Sargeant’s past week in South Florida included tossing a football with the hometown media and racing slot cars on national television — all to promote this weekend’s CRYPTO.com Miami Grand Prix Formula 1 event at the Miami International Autodrome around Hard Rock Stadium.
But the lone U.S. entry on Sunday’s grid smiles and concedes that the best times are still at his Lighthouse Point home with his dog, family and close friends — lots of boating and fishing. Support. A chance to exhale.
Sargeant, 23, is now in his second year competing at the world’s most elite racing level, driving the No. 7 Williams Racing Mercedes. He scored his first career point last year as a series rookie at the Austin, Texas, Circuit of the Americas — albeit when two drivers were disqualified — but it is a point nonetheless and the first scored by an American driver since Michael Andretti in 1993.
This weekend, Sargeant expects about 30 relatives and friends to be trackside cheering him on. It’s rare to have a legitimate home race in F1 — not just in the country you hail from but in the specific area you grew up and started racing. But Sargeant doesn’t feel any extra pressure from that — he’s got enough as it is competing at such a high level under such an extreme worldwide microscope.
“For sure when you’re home, you want to perform well in front of your home fans," he allowed with a smile, “But outside that, being able to be home with friends and family and go home to my dog, that makes it more relaxed and chill. That makes it feel like more of a natural weekend.
“So if anything, I feel more comfortable. I’m just happy to be home. Of course, I want to perform well, but that goes for everywhere in the world. Of course, extra special when it happens in the U.S.
“Strictly looking at the U.S. races," he added, “I had a great race in Austin and a great qualifying in Vegas, so my goal this year would be to put those two together in Miami and that would be a great weekend.”
Sargeant doesn’t necessarily even need a “great” weekend, but a good weekend would be helpful. It’s been quite a transition from winning races and contending for championships in the lower ranks of open-wheel racing to coming into the grandest, most competitive series and trying to deliver for a team that has a great history of world champions but is currently among the smaller operations.
Sargeant has a ways to go to challenge Max Verstappen
Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen has won the last three world championships, both of the Miami Grand Prix races to date and four of the five races this season.
But unlike many of his competitors, Sargeant has had to overcome career obstacles — proving himself continually as he progressed through the ranks often with smaller teams. He didn’t bring a pedigree and wasn’t selected by a team’s specialized “academy” to be groomed for F1 as so many others on Sunday’s grid.
He raced his way into opportunity and now wants nothing more than to prove himself once again. He’s focused on better nutrition and fitness — whatever he can do to make a difference in the car. So much of his life was purely preparation for him to be where he is today — driving for an iconic team in the most elite series.
Sargeant’s family — Mom, Dad and older brother Dalton — moved from Florida to Switzerland when Logan was 12 so he could begin the great pursuit that so many American racers dream of but few achieve. They were all in.
Along the way, he raced against so many of his current competitors working up the ranks. He and current McLaren Racing’s Oscar Piastri, for example, decided the 2020 F3 championship — one of the feeder series for F1 — with Piastri taking the title in the last race of the season. The next year Sargeant finished fourth in the F2 championship.
He often was driving equipment not expected to be competitive let alone score wins and points. He overachieved and consistently showed any doubters his talent. It’s been a consistent theme.
And that kind of competitive zeal and positive mindset has certainly come in handy in Formula 1 where he’s had four top-12 finishes in 26 grand prix. His best career finish was that 10th point-paying run at Austin.
His best finish this year is 14th in Saudi Arabia. Qualifying for Sunday’s race is Saturday afternoon.
Of that competitive edge and ability to think big picture, Sargeant says, “I think when you’ve mentally been through quite a lot, you’ve had it for a time, lost it for a time and gotten it back, so it just kind of makes you more grateful for whatever the opportunity may be because there was a time when you thought it was over, that kind of thing.
“So that’s always a benefit and I guess it makes you less scared of the 'what ifs?' so yeah, it hasn’t always been easy, but taking hold and giving my best to whatever opportunity comes has definitely helped me as a person."
Williams Racing's head still supports Sargeant
Williams Racing’s team principal James Vowles was asked multiple questions about Sargeant’s tenure with the team this week. There have been rumors that a young driver may replace him — even midseason — but judging by Vowles' comments Friday, he seems reluctant to make an in-season driver change.
“In terms of Logan, what I’ve been asking from him is despite the pressures of the world, the pressures we’ve created, the pressures I’ve created, the pressures all of you [the media] have created you need to pull that and put all that behind you and make sure you are now out there fighting and out-qualifying [teammate] Alex [Albon], pushing the team forward as a result of things," Vowles said.
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“Without doubt, this is a tough field," he continued. “There’s no doubt about it, but as I said, it’s a meritocracy, earn your place. Now he’s got more work to do but he’s also one of the top 20 Formula 1 drivers in the world on the grid and there’s a reason for that.
“And here in Miami, at his home grand prix, I’m putting him on my shoulders and supporting him because that’s what we should be doing at this point. He’s in the car. He’ll remain in the car. And my job here is supporting him."
The support is something Sargeant can feed off. Don’t count him out. He’s spent a young lifetime proving himself to the world. And he’s absolutely up for the task again.
More: Miami Grand Prix continues rise on the Formula 1 circuit with 250,000 fans expected over 3 days
Two years ago in Miami, Sargeant was a spectator sitting trackside. On Sunday, he's competing on the biggest stage.
“You never stop believing in yourself, that’s the main thing," Sargeant said. “If you did, then what are you really doing?
“At the end of the day, you keep believing in yourself and believing in the process.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Logan Sargeant lone American driver in F1 Miami Grand Prix
