Becoming a member of the Williams academy final season and displaying this 12 months he can win in Method 2, Jost Capito says there could be “one thing mistaken” with the junior programme if he didn’t promote Logan Sargeant.
With Nicholas Latifi on his manner out from each Williams and Method 1 on the finish of the 2022 marketing campaign, the Grove crew introduced Sargeant as his alternative.
Though the American driver is simply in his first season in Method 2, he has impressed Capito by taking two wins and 4 podium finishes in whole.
As such, the German believes selling the 21-year-old is the suitable factor to do, each for Sargeant and for Williams’ junior programme.
“It’s good for Method 1 to have an American driver,” he mentioned. “However we didn’t decide Logan within the academy as a result of he’s American, we picked him due to his success and his previous in racing.
“If we take the youngsters, if we put them into the academy, it’s the target to get them within the Method 1 automobile.
“And when you’ve got a younger driver who is prepared for Method 1, and you’ve got the seat, it’s important to put the younger driver into the seat – in any other case, you’ve achieved one thing mistaken.
“That’s why we got here to that conclusion, that it’s the suitable factor. And that Logan is American is simply good to have, nevertheless it’s not the initiation of the choice.”
And Capito is assured Sargeant is prepared for Method 1.
With two podiums to his identify – P3 within the Spanish Grand Prix dash race and P2 within the function race in Baku – Sargeant claimed his first F2 race win at Silverstone’s function race as he beat fellow F1 hopeful Théo Pourchaire to the chequered flag.
Every week later he proved he was not a one-hit surprise, holding off Enzo Fittipaldi to win on the Pink Bull Ring.
However with only one 12 months in Method 2, there are some pundits apprehensive Method 1 has come too quick for Sargeant.
Logan Sargeant seems to be set to race for Williams subsequent 12 months, he’ll be the primary American driver in F1 since 2015 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/1bZXgskZ3T
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) October 22, 2022
Capito has denied this.
Conceding you “by no means know the way the event is”, he mentioned: “From my historical past, I’m recognized to get younger drivers in rapidly as a result of that’s one of the simplest ways to search out out what the potential actually is and never park him.
“And if we see somebody is prepared, like we see Logan this season, we are able to take the choice.
“He wouldn’t have been misplaced if we’d have determined he wants one other 12 months in F2, then he would have achieved that as nicely.
“However we see coming in as a rookie, successful races and displaying that efficiency in qualifying, it’s the suitable factor to step up.”
Sargeant’s place on subsequent 12 months’s grid shouldn’t be but assured, the driving force nonetheless needing to safe the 40 factors required for a Tremendous Licence.
Learn extra: Williams have contingency plan in place if Logan Sargeant fails to land seat