While Formula One is enjoying boom times in North America, the lack of a decent driver on the grid from across the pond still thwarts those who want to make this happen. To this day the only American born champion driver in the sport was Ferrari’s Phil Hill in 1961 though of course Italian born Mario Andretti is the most famous US citizen to claim the drivers crown while driving for Lotus in 1978.

In F1’s modern era Scott Speed is a name infamous from the early days of the Red Bull Racing family. In 2006 he became the first American to race in Formula One since Andretti’s final stint in 1993. The brash Californian was to make waves in the sport, but not for all the right reasons.

Speed was fined $5000 in his rookie season of 2006 for using inappropriate language towards during a post-race stewards hearing. Having failed to impress, the perceived wisdom was Scott Speed would be dropped by Toro Rosso for 2007, yet surprisingly Franz Tost relented and the American was signed for another year.

 

 

 

Modern history of American F1 drivers – not good

It was an unimpressive year punctuated by poor reliability and crashes and at the European Grand Prix Speed spun off in the wet. It was reported after the race that Speed was involved in a physical altercation with team boss, Franz Tost, though the latter always refused to acknowledge this indeed did take place.

It was duly announced before the Hungarian Grand Prix that Speed was being replaced by BMW Sauber’s test driver Sebastian Vettel and of course the rest is history.

Next up was Alexander Rossi who drove briefly for the ill fated Marrusia Manor team in five of the last seven races of the 2015 season. Rossi then received an offer from Andretti the following season and the partnership saw him win the 100th running of the Indy500 during his rookie year.

A Canadian was to deliver F1’s next fix of a North American driver in the form of Nicholas Latifi. He was recruited in 2020 by Williams in what many call a ‘pay-to-drive’ position within the team. Latifi started 61 Grand Prix and collected the notable number of nine points during his three year career in F1, but he was replaced by Floridian born Logan Sargeant at the start of 2023.

Ricciardo now speaks of no Red Bull promotion

 

 

 

‘Pay-to-drive’

The American is another ‘pay-to-drive’ F1 pilot despite team boss James Vowles denying this was the sole reason he was driving for Williams. With 35 starts under his belt Logan has the staggering F1 career points total of 1 and this was awarded to him following the disqualification of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the 2023 USGP for having skid planks worn below the FIA mandated limit.

James Vowels inherited Logan Sargeant from his predecessor Jost Capito, yet it was a surprise the new Williams team boss retained the American’s services for this season. Vowles has been presenting his vision for the future of the British racing marque for the majority of this season and in particular has been pursuing an experienced driver lineup for next year.

With Vowles making a public announcement in Canada that his number one target driver was Carlos Sainz, the writing was on the wall for Logan Sargeant. The tall Floridian curls a forlorn figure in the paddock and at the recent FIA drivers press conference he received no questions from the floor, while George Russell garnered all the attention.

The final straw came in practice three in Zandvoort. On a damp track Sargeant made a mistake with his line entering the infamous Hugenholtz Bocht banked corner. He ran wide on the exit with his right hand wheels on wet grass. Sargeant inexplicably floored the throttle with half his car off the circuit, with the predictable result and one of the year’s more spectacular smashes into the wall.

Wolff mades bold Verstappen claim to irritate Horner

 

 

 

Williams car was destroyed

Such was the damage the team were unable to prepare the car for Sargeant to compete in the qualifying sessions. That said Logan’s average F1 starting position is 16.97, the worst of all those on the grid this season, so Williams lose little with him classified last in qualifying.

As it happens Logan will not be last away when the lights go out in Zandvoort this afternoon. This morning Haas revealed they are fitting a new energy store and control electronics to Magnussen’s car which means he will start from the pit lane.

Now reports are emerging from several sources that the Williams’ boss is done with Sargeant and he will be replaced for Monza. James Vowles went to great lengths in an interview with Sky to explain he was doing his best to ensure Sargeant has a motorsports future when he departs the team at the end of this year.

“My understanding is Williams are evaluating whether they should sub Sargeant out of the car, before the end of the season,” reports Sky Sports’ Craig Slater. “Perhaps as an almost kindness to him. His form is bedraggled.

Horner breaks silence over accusations

 

 

 

Lawson or Schumacher as replacements

“He will start the grand prix today, Williams have repaired the car. It may happen, it may not. Their options are limited,” added Slater.

Christian Horner told Sky F1 early in the weekend, it was possible Red Bull could loan out Liam Lawson and this comment could in fact be linked with any Williams plans to field a substitute driver for the rest of the year.

As always the famous Schumacher name is also in the fray. Mick lost out this week to Australian Jack Doohan for the final seat at Alpine for next year, although if James Vowles is looking for a driver who causes less damage than Sargeant, he should review the footage from Monaco 2022 when Mick split his Haas F1 car in two crashing at the swimming pool.

Of course any stand in for Logan Sargeant will not be able to prove themselves worthy of a seat with Williams for next season since the news broke one day into the summer break that Carlos Sainz has signed for the Grove based outfit. With Logan Sargeant and Zhou Guanyu probably leaving F1 at the end of this season, it seems the era of ‘pay-to-drive’ F1 pilots is over – at least for now and Sergeants ‘long goodbye’ may now be shortened by nine race weekends.

Wolff: 2026 Verstappen to Mercedes

 

 

 

Briatore SLAMS former ALpine amid engine rio

Recent senior team ‘advisor’ Flavio Briatore did not take long to aim for former Alpine management as a storm brews over Renault’s engine future. When Flavio Briatore takes up his role as special advisor at Alpine, he inherits not only a team struggling on the track, but also a brewing internal crisis that threatens to reshape the future of Renault’s involvement in Formula One.

At the centre of the controversy is the Viry-Chatillon plant near Paris, where Renault’s engines have been built for decades. The plant’s 334 employees, who have been at the heart of Renault’s F1 efforts, are now urging the company to reconsider a proposal that could see the end of their involvement in the sport – a move they describe as a betrayal of Renault’s rich motorsport heritage… READ MORE