We have seen a lot of rivalries develop in Formula 1 over the years. As one driver begins to dominate the grid, there is always one challenger lurking to take it all away. Fans absolutely love these battles as they see them unfold in front of them. But how many times have we seen rookie drivers take to the grid with their target driver already set? We are about to witness just that as the 2023 season unfolds with Logan Sargeant and Oscar Piastri making their debut.

Logan Sargeant’s inclusion in Formula 1 remained a question mark right until the very end of the F2 season. Williams decided to replace Nicholas Latifi after a disappointing 3-year stint. The biggest event that arguably acted as the final straw that broke the camel’s back was the Italian GP. As Alex Albon was out because of appendicitis, Nyck de Vries acted as the stop-gap replacement. Latifi failed to once again finish in points position while de Vries, with no prior F1 experience, did.

Logan Sargeant and Oscar Piastri to make their F1 debut in 2023

As Nyck de Vries later signed a contract with AlphaTauri, Williams had to look elsewhere for a new driver. That is where Logan Sargeant came in. Sargeant was having a great run in F2 with Carlin. However, there was an issue with signing him right away as he did not possess a super license.

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Sargeant needed to finish the F2 championship with enough points to keep him within the top 5 to get a super license. Nevertheless, Williams publicly announced they were going to sign him if he managed to achieve the feat. This was plenty of pressure to put on a young man. Sargeant, however, was committed and held his nerves in the final race in Abu Dhabi to gain the super license.

Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri was serving at Alpine as their 3rd driver. The team wanted to sign him, replacing Fernando Alonso after drama ensued. But McLaren were fast enough to get his signature on the contract. And Voila! We are set to witness a major feeder series rivalry revive at the pinnacle of open-wheel motorsport.

The Logan Sargeant-Oscar Piastri rivalry

Logan Sargeant and Oscar Piastri battled in the 2017 British Formula 4 championship. While Jamie Caroline won the championship, Oscar beat Logan to 2nd place in the drivers’ standings by 20.5 points. In 2018, both young drivers met at the Formula Renault Eurocup. This time, Sargeant got the better of Piastri, finishing 4th. Oscar, meanwhile, could only manage 8th.

The results saw Logan move ahead to Formula 3, while Oscar stayed in the Eurocup for another year, racing for R-ace GP. Displaying some phenomenal performances, the Aussie won the championship, earning a promotion to Formula 3, facing Sargeant once again in 2020.

The duo joined the legendary Prema Racing team. Continuing the superior form, Piastri won the championship ahead of Theo Pourchaire (2nd) and Logan (3rd). The title fight had gone right down to the wire as Oscar won the championship with just 3 points ahead of Theo and 4 points ahead of his teammate Logan.

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The feat was particularly impressive for Piastri, as he was in his rookie season in the championship while Sargeant was in his 2nd year. That was the last time the two would race against each other as Oscar moved on to F2, racing for Prema once again. Logan, however, had to spend another year in the F3 series.

Logan Sargeant reveals Oscar Piastri is his toughest competitor

The duo may have started out on very different paths, but they are finally set to meet at the biggest stage of motor racing. They may race for teams with very different capabilities, but their past will forever remind them of the legendary battles they fought against each other.

Logan, ahead of signing the deal with Williams, sat down for an interview for the team’s official website. They asked him who he considered his toughest competitor, and Logan did not disappoint. He replied, “It’s got to be the battle in Formula 3 between myself and Oscar Piastri.”

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We hope Formula 1 fans are prepared because the battle of the rookies could very well be the biggest talking point of the 2023 season.