
Why F1's 'missing piece' won't play on his nationality for success
The absence of an American driver has been one of the few obstacles to F1’s remarkable growth in the USA. Logan Sargeant might not have been expecting to join the ranks quite so soon, but he’s determined to seize the moment, as LUKE SMITH explains
The desire to crack America has been guiding Formula 1’s direction ever since Liberty Media took over the series in 2017. With three US races planned for this year, booming TV figures and an influx of American sponsors, you would be forgiven for thinking it’s mission accomplished. But, especially in the Drive to Survive era where the personalities of the drivers have become so central to F1’s global image, without an American racer on the grid, there was always going to be room for improvement.
Enter Logan Sargeant, Williams’ new signing for 2023. When the lights go out in Bahrain, he will become the first American to race in F1 since Alexander Rossi’s five-race sojourn with Marussia in 2015, and follow Scott Speed in 2007 as the latest driver to fly the flag full-time.
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