23-year-old Mick Schumacher has not received a new contract with Haas for 2023. There is one more way to get a job at Williams. But a lot has to happen in Abu Dhabi for that to happen.
Mick Schumacher is currently without a Formula 1 contract for 2023, Haas has brought in the experienced Nico Hülkenberg in his place. There is now a slim chance and a big chance for the 2020 Formula 2 champion. The small chance means: race with Williams. The big opportunity is to work as a test and reserve driver at Mercedes-Benz.
Williams team boss Jost Capito confirmed at the US Grand Prix: “If everything works out with the super license for Logan Sargeant, then he will race for us in 2023.”
Mick Schumacher’s fans had hoped for weeks: if the young German didn’t get a new contract with Haas, he might find shelter with Williams. Because Williams team boss Jost Capito had stated several times: “Of course Mick is an option for us because he deserves to drive in Formula 1. In my opinion, a driver needs at least two years anyway to learn the whole Formula 1 trade, and it can only be implemented in the third. »
But since October 22 this door seems to have closed, because Jost Capito said in the paddock of the Circuit of the Americas: “We brought our young driver Logan Sargeant onto the track here in the first free practice session and he did everything we were told wanted to see him. He will drive more free practice sessions for us. Logan still has one weekend to complete in Formula 2 and if a good result in Abu Dhabi secures the super license then he will be driving Grands Prix for us in 2023.”
“We believe that Logan is ready for Formula 1. He’s a very good qualifier, he learns very quickly and he’s showing solid races. We can afford to use a GP rookie because we have an experienced man in the second car in Alex Albon.”
21-year-old Logan Sargeant from Fort Lauderdale (Florida) has been part of the Williams driver academy since 2021. The traditional English racing team, which was sold to the US investment company Dorilton Capital from New York in August 2020, sees a nice upward trend in Logan: the young driver won two victories in Formula 2 in 2022 and stood four times on the podium, with 18 points from 26 races he currently occupies third place behind Brazilian Felipe Drugovich and Frenchman Théo Pourchaire.
The critical point for Sargeant: With 135 points, he is third in the Formula 2 championship before the final in Abu Dhabi, just ahead of a whole group of drivers – Jack Doohan, Jehan Daruvala and Enzo Fittipaldi (all 126 points), Liam Lawson (123) and Frederik Vesti (117).
In the sprint race in Formula 2, the first three get 10/8/6 points, in the main race there are 25/18/15 points.
For the first six ranks in the F2 championship, there are 40 points (ranks 1 to 3) in the super license system, then 30 (4th), 20 (5th), 10 (6th). But hardly known: With more than 100 kilometers in a free Formula 1 practice, there is an additional point. Sargeant scored points in Austin and Interlagos, in Mexico he didn’t reach the 100 kilometers, so no additional point there, but here one for use in the first free F1 practice session.
Also little known: A young driver who does not earn any penalty points in his championship receives two additional points for his good behavior. Logan Sargeant is currently the only regular driver in the Formula 2 field without penalty points.
Ideally, Sargeant can therefore get 31 points, so he still needs 9 points from Formula 2, so he has to be at least sixth overall.
Conclusion: Logan Sargeant’s chances are good, but the big calculations will start in Abu Dhabi.
But the American’s nerves are fluttering: spins in the first Formula 2 practice, spins in Formula 1 practice, only 17 five minutes before the end of F2 qualifying. Then Logan was able to improve: 6th place on the grid.
Mick Schumacher will follow Saturday’s Formula 2 sprint very closely.
2. Training, Abu Dhabi
01. Max Verstappen (NL), Red Bull Racing, 1:25,146 min
02. George Russell (GB), 1:25,487
03. Charles Leclerc (MC), Ferrari, 1:25,599
04. Lewis Hamilton (GB), Mercedes, 1:25,761
05. Sergio Perez (MEX), Red Bull Racing, 1:25.852
06. Carlos Sainz (E), Ferrari, 1:25.932
07. Esteban Ocon (F), Alpine, 1:26,038
08. Fernando Alonso (L), Alpine, 1:26,043
09. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS), McLaren, 1:26.124
10. Valtteri Bottas (FIN), Alfa Romeo, 1:26,300
11. Lando Norris (GB), McLaren, 1:26.377
12. Sebastian Vettel (D), Aston Martin, 1:26,395
13. Guanyu Zhou (RC), Alfa Romeo, 1:26,479
14. Lance Stroll (CDN), Aston Martin, 1:26,547
15. Yuki Tsunoda (J), AlphaTauri, 1:26,680
16. Alex Albon (T), Williams, 1:26,750
17. Mick Schumacher (D), Haas, 1:26,839
18. Kevin Magnussen (DK), Haas, 1:26.915
19. Pierre Gasly (F), AlphaTauri, 1:27.036
20. Nicholas Latifi (CDN), Williams, 1:27,262
1. Training, Abu Dhabi
01. Lewis Hamilton (GB), Mercedes, 1:26,633 min
02. George Russell (GB), Mercedes, 1:26,853
03. Charles Leclerc (MC), Ferrari, 1:26,888
04. Sergio Perez (MEX), Red Bull Racing, 1:26.967
05. Liam Lawson (NZ), Red Bull Racing, 1:27,201
06. Sebastian Vettel (D), Aston Martin, 1:27,268
07. Robert Shwartzman (AND), Ferrari, 1:27,429
08. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS), McLaren, 1:27.619
09. Valtteri Bottas (FIN), Alfa Romeo, 1:27,655
10. Alex Albon (GB), Williams, 1:27,840
11. Pierre Gasly (F), AlphaTauri, 1:27.845
12. Esteban Ocon (F), Alpine, 1:27,891
13. Yuki Tsunoda (J), AlphaTauri, 1:27,991
14. Robert Kubica (PL), Alfa Romeo, 1:28.064
15. Logan Sargeant (USA), Williams, 1:28,098
16. Kevin Magnussen (DK), Haas, 1:28.142
17. Pietro Fittipaldi (BR), Haas, 1:28,204
18. Pato O’Ward (MEX), McLaren, 1:28,350
19. Jack Doohan (AUS), Alpine, 1:28,484
20. Felipe Drugovich (BR), Aston Martin, 1:28.672
