How close is Logan Sargeant to getting his F1 superlicence?

Williams confirmed over the United States Grand Prix weekend that so long as Sargeant gets an FIA superlicence, he will claim the second seat alongside Alex Albon for 2023.

The FIA made clear in its handling of Colton Herta’s recent push for a superlicence that it will not make exceptions for those not meeting the criteria under its existing points system.

It means the pressure is on Sargeant to ensure he passes the 40-point threshold in the next couple of weeks, with his primary focus being on the Formula 2 season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Sargeant currently sits on 28 points, accrued through his third-place finish in F3 in 2020 behind Oscar Piastri and Theo Pourchaire, worth 20 points; seven points for finishing seventh in F3 last year following his surprise return to the category with Charouz; and one for his FP1 outing in Austin.

Drivers who complete over 100km in an F1 practice session without any incidents or picking up any reprimands get an extra point towards their tally, making it a valuable pathway for those trying to secure a seat.

Sargeant also featured in Mexico and was always scheduled to take part in opening practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but his additional outing in Brazil was only revealed a few days ago. It came after the American fell just two laps short of the required 100km mileage during first practice in Mexico two weeks ago, meaning he didn’t pick up the bonus point.

Although FP1 isn’t a viable session for any young driver to do in Brazil due to the sprint race weekend format, which leaves just a 60-minute window to get the car ready for qualifying, the fact set-ups are locked in for FP2 has made the session largely redundant.

Yet it has opened the door for Williams to get Sargeant in the car without having a big impact on the full-time drivers’ weekends, barring any incidents. With Interlagos being 4.309km long, Sargeant will need to rack up 24 laps through the session to get the bonus point.

Assuming he gets a point in both Brazil and Abu Dhabi, Sargeant should take his tally up to 30 ahead of the final two races in Formula 2, which will remain make-or-break for his F1 hopes in 2023.

Sargeant sits third in the standings on 135 points, having seen the momentum built in the early summer with back-to-back feature race wins at Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring ultimately fade, with retirements in five of the last nine races. He is 29 points back from Pourchaire…