Logan Sargeant: “I’m really happy with where we’ve got the car”

Logan Sargeant completed his first pre-season testing programme as a FIA Formula 1 World Championship driver on Friday, with the American completing one hundred and fifty-four laps of the Bahrain International Circuit.

Sargeant, who becomes the first American to race in Formula 1 since Alexander Rossi raced five times for the Manor F1 Team back in 2015, says his running with Williams Racing in Bahrain proved to him that his fitness is up to the level required to race in Formula 1.

And he was pleased with the pace and performance shown by Williams with their updated FW45, with the car seemingly improving throughout the test, although he knows there is still things to do for the team to be truly competitive in 2023.

“I think today tops the most kilometres I’ve ever done in a day,” said Sargeant after Friday’s running.  “I was able to physically hold up well.

“We got through so much running which is a testament to the team and the hard work they’ve put in. We moved in the right direction the whole day and it was really positive.

“We looked at shorter runs this morning and considering where the track temp was, I was relatively happy with how the car was feeling. Throughout the long runs this afternoon the car was in a good window and I could drive it exactly how I wanted to.

“There are still somethings we’re chasing but I’ll leave that up to Alex [Albon] tomorrow. Overall, I’m really happy with where we’ve got the car and I can’t wait to go racing next week.”

Sargeant’s next time in the FW45 will come in the opening free practice of the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend this Friday.