There are few races where qualifying is as important as it is at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
It’s not easy to overtake at Imola with only one DRS zone for drivers to take advantage of and a very narrow track considering the width of the current F1 cars.
Covering qualifying for The Race, journalist Samarth Kanal was watching the drivers arrive for their media duties once they had finished racing.
Even drivers who qualified well – such as Yuki Tsunoda – weren’t completely happy with their performance.
However, Williams driver Logan Sargeant looked ‘deflated’ after another Q1 elimination.
His best lap wasn’t good enough to finish in the top 15 anyway, but it was subsequently deleted for breaching track limits.
It means the American driver – taking part in his 28 Grand Prix weekend – will start in last place.
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Logan Sargeant looked ‘deflated’ after qualifying at Imola
If there is one driver who needs to have a strong weekend at Imola it’s Logan Sargeant.
Williams team principal James Vowles has said this weekend, via Sky Sports F1, that other drivers are already being considered for 2025.
The 23-year-old will be fully aware of how precarious his position on the grid currently is.
After his performance in qualifying, F1 commentator Alex Jacques suggested that Williams are running out of patience with Sargeant.
He’s once again failed to close the gap to Alex Albon which is the minimum requirement at this stage of his career.
It’s no surprise that Sargeant looked deflated after finding out his best time in qualifying at Imola didn’t count.
Sargeant’s task on Sunday is going to be incredibly difficult and it’s not like the first driver he’s going to come up against will be an easy target.
A tricky Saturday for Fernando Alonso saw him crash in FP3 and then qualify 19, meaning if he doesn’t start from the pit lane, he’ll line up alongside the American for the first time.
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Logan Sargeant cites lack of experience for Imola struggles
Posting on The Race’s live blog, Kanal said: “[Logan] Sargeant seemed deflated after being eliminated in Q1 without a time on the board.
“He said it’s been a “grind” this weekend – and added that the new lighter Williams floor, which team-mate Albon is using at Imola, will be a much-needed upgrade for him.”
After the session, Sargeant explained why Formula 1’s official YouTube channel: “It’s been a bit of a grind this weekend for sure.
“It hasn’t been the easiest, I think not being here before I was a little bit on the back foot trying to find my way around here in an F1 car.
“Nonetheless, I think I stuck with it pretty well and was improving session after session, so some good things, some things to work on.”
Unfortunately for Sargeant, he may have looked so deflated after qualifying because he’ll be aware he’s not the only driver making his Imola debut this weekend.
Nico Hulkenberg has a lot more F1 experience but he’s also making his bow at the circuit this weekend.
He dragged his Haas into the final session of qualifying and has given himself a decent chance of scoring points, although Red Bull’s Sergio Perez is the car behind him.
Logan Sargeant needs to prove a point during Sunday’s race, otherwise, speculation will only increase ahead of the next Grand Prix at Monaco that his F1 career is coming to an end.
The post ‘Seemed deflated’: 28-race driver was devastated after difficult Imola qualifying session – journalist appeared first on F1 Oversteer.
