He doesn’t view himself as anything more than a racer trying to win races and championships, but Logan Sargeant inherently represents more than himself, as he is also the current best chance the United States has to return an American full time to the Formula 1 grid.

For American racing enthusiasts, the Sargeant name might sound familiar, as the 19-year-old is the younger brother of former NASCAR prospect Dalton Sargeant, who spent several seasons in the ARCA and Truck Series system.



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Meanwhile, the youngest racing Sargeant has done nothing but win since moving to Switzerland as a 12-year-old to chase a career at the highest level of international motorsports. Sargeant won the Karting Federation Junior championship in 2015, becoming the first American to win an FIA karting championship since 1978, when Lake Speed earned the honors.

He has victories in the F4 British Championship and Formula Renault.

Sargeant suffered his first significant career setback in 2019, finishing 19th in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship with Carlin, with just one podium, albeit in the nonpoints prestigious Macau Grand Prix.

There were valid reasons for the adversity, of course, as 2019 was the first season with a new chassis and rules package that allowed for adjustable downforce during practice but one fixed amount during a race.



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With three first-year Formula 3 drivers on its roster, Carlin struggled to develop the chassis, and each of them finished outside of the top 15 in the standings.

It was uncharacteristic of Sargeant, who had adapted to everything he had driven up to that point, which makes 2020 all the more interesting as it comes with a return tour of Formula 3, albeit with a change to the championship-winning Prema Racing Team organization.

If Sargeant simply repeats what the three Prema drivers accomplished last year, sweeping the championship’s podium, an American will likely be one step below the highest level of international motorsports in 2021 for the first time since Alexander Rossi made five Formula 1 starts with Marussia.



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Get to know Sargeant—an avid fisherman who enjoys returning to his Boca Raton, Florida, home as much as he is able—in this Autoweek exclusive below.



Autoweek: Let's start on the performance side—what went wrong in 2019?

Logan Sargeant: In hindsight, Carlin has had a lot of success over the years, but we really struggled with the new car. We had three rookies on the same team, inexperienced drivers who couldn't lead us in the right direction. A tenth or two makes such a difference. I understand the situation. I'm not saying I wasn't responsible to a degree either. I wasn't satisfied with myself. I have an obligation to help develop the car as much as possible, and we just couldn't figure it out for most of the year.

AW: Do you view last year as a setback or are you still on schedule?

LS: To be perfectly honest with you, I actually feel like we're still ahead of schedule. I just turned 19. We did really well in Formula Renault and made the jump to Formula 3 and now I'm in a really good spot to be with the team (Prema) that won the championship last year.



FIA Formula 3

AW: What's it like to be an American in the F1 ladder system?

LS: I moved to Switzerland when I was 12 and went to a school for Americans so I got used to everything from an early age. Then I moved to London. When you move at such an early age, it's shocking how different everything is, but it's easier to adjust to, as well. I try to go home at least twice a year for a couple of weeks, so that helps. As for the racing side, there is so much quality racing back home between NASCAR, IndyCar and IMSA, and that's the only reason there aren't more of us trying. There is a really good racing culture in the States, so that's the only reason we don't see it more often.



AW: I understand you have a dog back home—how tough is it to have to leave a beloved pet when you return to London? The same thing with friends and family?



LS: It's really tough, especially when you're really attached to a pet, like a dog or cat. She used to live with us in Switzerland, but we had to take her back home because she was getting older. It's the same with your friends, right? I have friends in Europe, but they're all my racing friends. They're really nice to have, but you miss your friends you have back home. It's part of the sacrifice you make to do this.

Sargeant Personal Archives

AW: On that note, you've been in Europe now for almost a decade—does it feel like home when you come back from Florida?

LS: Oh, no. Florida is home. I really enjoy it in London. I came early so I've adjusted, but you only have one home.



AW: Do you allow yourself to entertain racing in the States or do you commit everything to what you're doing now?

LS: I'm fully committed to Formula 1, but I wouldn't have a problem if I ended up with the opportunity to race in IndyCar someday. That would be really exciting. I really enjoy sports car racing, too. It would be really cool to hop into a LMP2 or something one day. I want to race and I'll race anything.

AW: How much American racing are you able to keep up with?

LS: I watch as much racing as I can, period. It's tougher to watch certain races here because of the time difference, but I watch nothing but racing. That's the sport I'm in so I'm studying everything.



AW: Is this a championship-or-bust season for you?

LS: I'd say, to be honest, that I'm aiming for the championship. The goal is to win races and compete for the championship. Last year was tough because I'm so used to being at the front of the team. I'm aware of what Prema did last year. That's what I hope to accomplish, too.

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