Sargeant’s debut in F1: which Americans went before him?

The Williams driver joins a long list as an American. Indeed, as many as 158 drivers have an appearance in Formula 1 behind their names, but this includes drivers who only participated in the Indianapolis 500 when the event was still part of the Formula 1 season. If you exclude these individuals, it comes to 36 drivers who actually competed in Formula 1.

Where the first Formula 1 race was scheduled in 1950, Phil Hill gave the United States its first world title in 1961. Hill, who was also winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans the same year, was at Ferrari that year battling teammate and rival Wolfgang von Trips. After the German lost his life after a collision with Lotus driver Jim Clark, and 15 spectators also lost their lives, Hill took the world title with a sour aftertaste.

Andretti gave America its second world title

Seventeen years later, Mario Andretti was capable of the same thing on behalf of Lotus. Remarkably, he faced the same scenario as Hill. Andretti was in a duel with teammate Ronnie Peterson in 1978. However, the Swede was involved in a crash in Italy, after which he died a day later. His replacement Jean-Pierre Jarier and Andretti then failed to pick up any more points, but it was enough for the American to win the world championship.

His son Michael Andretti briefly raced for McLaren in 1993, teaming with Ayrton Senna. However, it did not prove to be a successful partnership. Both parties therefore decided to enter into talks to dissolve the contract.

Few Americans in 21st century

Scott Speed was the last American to have a regular place in Formula 1. In 2006 and 2007, he had a contract with Toro Rosso (AlphaTauri since 2021), but it was by no means a happy partnership. Toro Rosso owner Gerhard Berger and Speed reportedly did not get along particularly well. In addition, team boss Franz Tost and Speed even reportedly fought with each other.

Toro Rosso did decide to extend Speed's contract in 2007, but during the season it opted to make him reserve driver and appoint Sebastian Vettel, who eventually won four world titles, as his replacement. Speed then later stated in an interview that he never wanted to work with Toro Rosso's management in the future.

Alexander Rossi is the most recent American to take part in a Formula 1 race. In 2015, he made five appearances as a reserve driver for Marussia, replacing Roberto Merhi. It was by no means a success story. Indeed, Rossi failed to score any points and finished the season ingloriously in 20th place. The following year, he made the switch to IndyCar where he drove for Andretti.

Sargeant provides US with new chapter

The United States had to wait a long time for it, but in 2023, with Sargeant, it will finally have a compatriot back in the motorsport class. Although he is with a team that has certainly not performed well in recent seasons, the British formation hopes to continue the upward trend in the coming years. With new team boss James Vowles coming over from Mercedes, it seems to have a key ingredient in place.

As with many debutants in Formula 1, Sargeant will need time to adjust to the level and get on the right track with Williams. The British seem to be giving him time to get to grips with his car, although he will need to show his potential in his first year. The pressure on his shoulders will therefore be logical enough.

Should Sargeant manage to be successful, there are many opportunities for him in America. The sport has already grown considerably in the country in recent years, even boasting three Grands Prix this season with race weekends in Austin, Miami and Las Vegas. It is up to Sargeant to get the spectators behind him, after which he will have the dream of one day joining the same ranks as Hill and Andretti.