Is Williams hinting here at Saturday's announcement of Sargeant?

Logan Sargeant made his official debut in Formula 1 on Friday by taking part in the first free practice session. The American driver had a solid session and eventually finished nineteenth. It is quite possible that we will see Sargeant working full-time for Williams in 2023, as Jost Capito seems to be hinting at a permanent seat for the F2 driver.

Sargeant contracted by Williams?

The Williams team boss was asked during a fan Q&A about when he expects to see another American driver in the king class of motorsport. Capito's response was cryptic but telling at the same time. "Follow the news and you might see something on Saturday," he said.

It may well be that Williams will still announce this weekend that Sargeant will be Nicholas Latifi's replacement next season. Marketing-wise, it would be interesting for the Grove-based racing stable to reveal Sargeant's recruitment during the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. After all, this generates an awful lot of attention.

Small note is that Sargeant is yet to get his super licence. He is currently third in the Formula 2 championship and needs to finish in the top-five to have enough points. Only in Abu Dhabi, during the final Formula 2 races of the season, will it become clear whether Sargeant meets that requirement or not.

Sargeant's reaction after debut

The 21-year-old Williams junior himself is at least satisfied with his first appearance in Formula 1, he said in a press release. "The main goal coming into today was to learn as much as possible and I feel like I did pick up on a lot. It was very different to what I honestly expected but in a good way. The way that the car reacts compared to what I’m used to in Formula 2 is massively different. Super reactive in the high-speed and so good on the brakes. A lot of potential to still pick up on and improve on, but I think it was a good start and happy with how it went."