Photo: Formula Motorsport Limited
Logan Sargeant, who finished third in last year’s FIA Formula 3 Championship, doesn’t have the budget to remain in single-seater racing for 2021.
The American has raced cars in Europe for the last four years, following a karting career that included the CIK-FIA World Karting Championship title in OK Junior karts.
After wins in British Formula 4 and the Formula Renault Eurocup, Sargeant graduated to FIA F3 in 2019 with Carlin. An otherwise tricky year ended with a Macau Grand Prix podium, and a move to Prema for 2020 turned him into a title contender.
“I progressed [from 2019 to ’20], but I truly feel like I always had the speed within myself,” Sargeant told Formula Scout.
“And then I think getting in that car just really helped me show it. Prema just being so professional, you just show to all the race weekends insanely prepared, and I think that makes a difference as well.”
Sargeant’s season was capped by two wins and three poles (more than anyone else), but scoring only five points in the final four races at Monza and Mugello left him five points short of title success.
“Qualifying has always been one of my strong spots, but honestly it probably went even better than I expected.
“We never even had a single bad one throughout the year, and three poles in a row. That was honestly probably one of the most enjoyable parts of the year.
“I had a difficult race one [at Monza]. I finished, but way at the back, and then race two I was having probably one of the best races of my career coming all the way through with pretty insane speed and didn’t get any reward for that either. That was a tough one to swallow.
“Then I had a grid penalty going into Mugello, still made the most of that. And then the way it ended was heartbreaking, but sometimes that’s just the way it goes.”
Sargeant got an extremely last-minute deal to join Campos Racing for Formula 2’s post-season test, but was looking for sponsors to fund a step up to the series.
“I think even if I won the championship I’d still be sitting in a pretty similar position,” said the 20-year-old.
“We’ve just been trying to look around, feel out our options, see what’s most reasonable. Hoping for something to come along. But at the moment we’re still waiting, trying to wait for the right opportunity.
“I’m ready to go, I’m here, I’ve been staying fit, and I want to get back in the car soon.”
Indy Lights was under consideration after a “really enjoyable” 2019 test, and Sargeant has an eye on racing the next generation of Le Mans prototype sportscars.
“I’d be open to anything, but honestly all of the single-seater stuff’s pretty, pretty closed up now. There’s very few seats around. So it’s looking more like the alternative route.
“I think for any young driver their preferred plan would be to stay in single-seaters, but unfortunately that’s not an option.”