Logan Sargeant is the primary driver to race with the quantity two on his automobile since Stoffel Vandoorne 5 years in the past. And the rookie is faring no higher than his predecessor did.
Vandoorne famously ended his second and last season in F1 having been out-qualified by his group mate Fernando Alonso at each race. Up to now Sargeant is on target to endure the identical destiny alongside Alexander Albon.
It didn’t seem like being fairly so one-sided after the primary qualifying session of the yr led to Bahrain. Sargeant was simply 0.191 seconds behind his group mate at his first try. Certainly he may lower that hole as he grew to become extra aware of the Williams FW45? Up to now that hasn’t occurred. That is still the closest Sargeant has received, and he’s solely lapped inside three-tenths of Albon in qualifying on one different event.
Consequently, quantity 23 has invariably completed forward of quantity two. Albon has additionally accounted for all of Williams’ factors, Sargeant having peaked with eleventh at Silverstone, 5 seconds off a spot within the prime 10.
This efficiency can solely be thought-about a disappointment. Sargeant could also be one in every of three newcomers on the grid this yr however he had loads of alternatives to organize in practise periods throughout 2022.
There haven’t been many notable excessive factors for Sargeant since that promising begin in Bahrain. Albon hasn’t been flawless both, crashing out in Melbourne lengthy earlier than his group mate went into the again of Nyck de Vries. However Albon was no less than operating in a factors place when he hit the wall.
The excellent news for Sargeant is that, not like de Vries, he’s driving for a group which seems keen to attend till he’s accomplished his debut season earlier than passing judgement on him. However it’s going to take an enormous effort from him within the second half of the season to vary that judgement.
The one drivers at the moment being eclipsed by their group mates to this diploma are Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll, however they no less than have the excuse of being paired with two-times world champions, one in every of which is the one who noticed off Vandoorne so emphatically.
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Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Adverse worth: Albon was sooner; Optimistic worth: Sargeant was sooner
2023 F1 season
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