Following Logan Sargeant’s designation as the biggest F1 2023 underperformer by 13-time grand prix winner David Coulthard, former team manager Eddie Jordan stated that Sargeant would not have joined his squad, money or no money.
As the first American driver to compete in Formula 1 since Alexander Rossi in 2015, Sargeant, a Williams Driver Academy alum, advanced from Formula 2 to Formula 1 for 2023.
But with just one point, after teammate Alex Albon easily defeated him 22-0 in qualifying and Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified from the US Grand Prix, Sargeant’s rookie season proved to be difficult. Williams team manager James Vowles is currently reviewing the data to determine whether Sargeant will be kept in the race come 2024.
Logan Sargeant would not have made Jordan Grand Prix cut
Coulthard and Jordan were asked to identify the driver they believed was the biggest underperformer of the season using the package they had available as part of the Formula for Success F1 2023 season review.
Sargeant was the obvious choice for Coulthard, who then asked Jordan if Sargeant would have sufficed for Jordan in the past, disregarding the financial support and his nationality.
According to laptime, Logan Sargeant is the clear winner, according to Coulthard. “A half-second’s distance from Albon
It’s a privilege to be a professional athlete, so I truly want all of these men to succeed, but Logan’s situation just doesn’t appear to be working out.
“F1 is just a different beast for those drivers who have success in the lower categories, and the consistency of performance—even if he had a great qualifying in Vegas and I believe it was Zandvoort who did a really excellent job—is just too many wasted opportunities.
“I would also like to know if EJ would make your two if he were on your squad and there was no financial or nationality incentive to keeping him? And in the hopes that all of a sudden he will pick up some speed and realize the situation.
Unfortunately for Sargeant, the door at Jordan would have been closed whether or not he was carrying the large dollars with him.
Jordan retorted, “To start, talent is something you have and you can’t buy.”
If he didn’t have any money, would he still drive the car? Not at all. If he had a ton of money, would he drive the car? Not that he would, really.
“Because, although people may believe that we pursued fame and fortune above everything else, there was a delicate line, in my opinion—that being said, the Jarno Trullis, Ralf Schumacher, Eddie Irvine, and [Rubens] Barrichellos.
“Yes, we needed assistance paying the bills, but it’s not a need; Eddie Irvine is one example of this. However, he also brought other sponsors with him, which made a difference in the outcome.
“I wouldn’t include Sargeant in my team. We rarely placed lower than five, yet we managed to get the third spot; therefore, it takes a team of extremely skilled drivers—you can’t depend on just one—to accomplish that.
Of course, there were instances in which we did depend on one. However, in general, I believe that having a strong teammate is ideal.
“I’m afraid the answer wouldn’t be in my team, Sargeant.”
There would be no changes to the grid for the upcoming season if Williams decides to keep Sargeant for Formula One in 2024.
