Sargeant almost saw dream shattered: 'I was quite tentative'

By the end of 2020, things looked bad for Sargeant. The American had seen his title slip out of his hands in the final race of the F3 season after contact on the first lap of the final race. The title went to Oscar Piastri and without support from an F1 team, Sargeant's career seemed to be at a dead end.

The F3 deal Sargeant didn't want

There were opportunities to go to America, but Sargeant and those around him did not want to give up on the European dream just yet. However, without financial backing, a move to F2 was not possible and opportunities were also scarce in Formula 3. After a good season with top team Prema, the only chance was with the last team on the grid: Charouz.

In 2020, Charouz still finished last among the constructors with just five points and so Sargeant hesitated. ''It was a chance to stay in Europe. To be honest, I was quite tentative about taking that deal,'' the 21-year-old driver told The Race. However, those around him stressed that it was precisely with such a team that he could show how good he was and that proved to be a success.

Sargeant finished on the podium four times for Charouz in 2021 and even won a race in Russia. Although a seventh finishing position in the standings does not normally earn compliments, Sargeant left a huge impression. From the last team on the grid, his 102 points (Charouz scored a total of 127 points that year) had suddenly turned him into a middle-drawer. That it was a unique achievement by Sargeant proved in 2022, when Charouz finished stiffly at the bottom of F3 again with just one point. That caught the eye of Williams, which offered him a test in an F1 car in late 2021.

The deal with Williams

Williams saw the potential in Sargeant and decided to include him in the Williams Junior Academy. With the money from Williams, a move to F2 was possible though, and with Carlin he scored two wins. The American placed third in the championship and that performance ensured that Williams will give him a chance in F1 in 2023.

Looking back, Sargeant points to 2021 as the most important learning year. ''That helped me mature as a driver and also pushed me to be a leader, to bring what was a below par team to the midfield by the end of the season. I think we did a really good job there. And that just really set me up for a good 2022. I couldn’t have done it without the support of Williams, and I’ll forever be grateful for that,'' Sargeant concluded.