There were mixed messages coming from Williams Racing about the future of American driver Logan Sargeant at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The rookie is the only driver on the grid who hasn’t confirmed a seat for the 2024 season.
Sargeant brought his car home in 16th position at the season finale after starting from 20th on the grid, having failed to set a qualifying time due to exceeding the track limits during the first session.
The result comes after he earned a surprising sixth place qualifying position at last week’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, although he ended up with the same race result.
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After the checkered flag flew in Abu Dhabi, one of Sargeant’s engineers was heard saying “looking forward to next year, buddy” over the radio, according to The Mirror, which started speculation that he has been resigned with the team for 2024.
However, Williams team principal James Vowles threw some cold water on the idea when he was asked about the communication during the post-race press conference.
“Whatever happens Logan has been part of the Williams Academy for many years, and will always remain a part of our academy, and he is a quick driver, but if we step away from that — if you look at the last five races on how he has improved and is stepping forward,” Vowles said, according to Crash.net.
“You can see signs that what he is doing is what he needs to earn the seat, but we aren’t in a position to confirm that. We’re proud of the steps he has made this season.â€
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Sargeant finished the season 21st in the standings with a single point earned through a 10th place finish at the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Tex. While there are only 20 full-time cars on the grid, reserve driver Liam Lawson picked up two points when he finished ninth at the Singapore Grand Prix while filling in for the Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri.