Reaching Formula 1 is the pinnacle of any driver’s career but remaining at that level is a completely different challenge.
Many drivers spend their entire lives hoping to earn a seat on the grid only to discover that they’re not on the same level as their rivals.
David Coulthard was speaking on the Formula For Success Podcast and believes this applies to one driver currently on the grid.
There’s been a lack of movement this year in the paddock with no news drivers joining Formula 1, a decision that his co-host Eddie Jordan called ‘scandalous’.
However, that’s going to change in 2025 and Oliver Bearman showed during his cameo in Saudi Arabia that the new crop of drivers is more than ready to push some of the current F1 stars towards the back of the grid.
David Coulthard has suggested that Williams driver Logan Sargeant might not be at the required level to race in Formula 1.
He earned an unlikely call-up into James Vowles’s team ahead of the 2023 season but only has a single career point to his name.
The pressure is beginning to mount on the 23-year-old who needs to improve his results to avoid being replaced before the end of the season.
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David Coulthard not sure Williams driver Logan Sargeant is cut out for Formula 1
Logan Sargeant had a successful karting career in the United States as a youngster before making the move to Europe as virtually every young driver does.
In 2017, he competed in the F4 British Championship for the first time and finished 3 in the series, finishing just 20 points behind Oscar Piastri.
The following year he moved up to Formula Renault and this time he doubled the Australian’s points tally before making the step up to Formula 3 in 2019.
Sargeant stayed at that level for two years – while Piastri skipped ahead after winning back-to-back championships before making his full Formula 2 debut in 2022.
Driving for Carlin, Sargeant was pitted against Red Bull junior Liam Lawson and missed out on beating the young Kiwi by a point during the final race of the season.
While Lawson prepared for a year in Super Formula and championship winner Felipe Drugovich took on the reserve driver role at Aston Martin, Sargeant was thrust into the second Williams seat alongside Alex Albon, although Coulthard wonders if he might have made the step up too soon.
The 13-time race winner also made a comparison that Sargeant is very unlikely to want to hear.
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Logan Sargeant clinging onto his Formula 1 status
Eddie Jordan and Coulthard were discussing the prospect of using Sprint Races to give Formula 2 drivers and other young stars in junior categories much-needed F1 experience.
Speaking about the idea, Coulthard said: “Actually, just one thing picking up on that which I think could work really well if your proposal was to be carried through is it would avoid potential young F2 drivers arriving on a full contract and then not delivering.
“You would see it in the Sprint weekends and I don’t want to name names.”
Jordan interrupted Coulthard and said: “Oh god on! It’s not like you to be on the fence, David!”
Coulthard continued and said: “Well look, [Nicholas] Latifi, Logan Sargeant, at the moment.
“Latifi didn’t arise to the level that his junior formula career would have shown.
“Logan Sargeant hasn’t reached the same level as Alex Albon. You maybe could have found that out in a few Sprint Races because F1 is very different to any other formula.
“It’s a different pressure, it’s a different animal altogether, the intensity, the pressure, the spotlight.
“Some people are just not cut out for that.”
What’s next for Logan Sargeant?
As it stands, Logan Sargeant will be leaving Williams at the end of the year when his contract expires which won’t come as a massive surprise to Coulthard or anyone else in the paddock.
He was deflated after qualifying last for the second time this season in Imola and failed to make much progress during the race.
Williams appear to be running out of patience with Sargeant and he could be replaced by Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli as soon as the Italian Grand Prix.
Sargeant has been unfortunate at times and is being compared to a teammate who is far more experienced than him in a car that appears incapable of challenging for points this season.
However, there are few signs of progress at this stage and unless he produces a dramatic turn of form over the next few races, then America might be looking for another driver to follow in Formula 1 next season.
The post ‘Not cut out for that’: David Coulthard says 0-win driver hasn’t replicated junior success in Formula 1 appeared first on F1 Oversteer.