Sargeant unfazed by imminent 'chaotic' silly season

Logan Sargeant has predicted the 2024 silly season will be "crazier than ever", with the American one of a vast number of drivers with a point to prove.

Following Williams' Team Principal James Vowles confirming that Alex Albon is contracted until the end of 2025, a staggering 65% of the grid does not have a seat at this moment in time for next year.

Lewis Hamilton's announcement last week that he is joining Ferrari in 2025 has triggered an early start to the driver market coming alive, giving Sargeant the impression it is going to be a "chaotic" year of changes.

The only drivers currently with a place on the 2025 grid are Hamilton, Max Verstappen, George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Albon. Sargeant's team-mate, though, has been heavily linked with a move to either Red Bull or Mercedes.

Albon departing would potentially increase Sargeant's chances of retaining his seat, considering Williams has not changed its entire driver line-up for a season since 2019.

Five years ago, Russell and Robert Kubica were signed to replace Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin, who departed after the 2018 campaign.

Sargeant still needs to perform well in his sophomore campaign, following an underwhelming debut season. He made just one Q3 appearance and only scored a point, thanks to Hamilton and Leclerc being disqualified at the United States Grand Prix.

The 23-year-old recognises he must progress in 2024 to remain on the F1 grid for a third season, however, he does not feel any pressure despite how many drivers need new contracts.

A 'step' must be made

"Not really, to me," Sargeant told select media including RacingNews365. "I think at the end of the day, for me, nothing has really changed, because there needs to be a step compared to last year.

"So I'm going to go out and perform the best I can, and that's all I can focus on.

"Do I think it's going to be a chaotic year with how many people's contracts are running out? Absolutely. I think it's going to be crazier than ever.

"But from my side, I'm just planning on going out performing and just representing the team."