With F1’s American invasion in full bloom, 2023 can be the year the sport maximizes its foray into the US market. To begin with, this year, the F1 calendar will be hosting three US Grand Prix. The Las Vegas GP is the latest addition to the roster of circuits after the debut of Miami last year. But that is not all. Since 2015, 2023 will be the first year with the F1 grid having a full-time American racing driver in the shape of Williams‘ Logan Sargeant. However, if the 22-year-old expects to be a darling of the American masses from the very get-go, an ex-IndyCar legend has some damning news for him.

Danica Patrick is a stalwart in the American racing scene. She is the only woman to have won an IndyCar race and went on to have a solid racing career in the US. Even though she hasn’t solidified her legacy as the greatest, she was still a dependable driver. That being said, her biggest accolade is being one of the most marketable personalities in the paddock. Now that she has shifted her focus from on-track racing to punditry, she had a few words of wisdom for Sargeant.

While doing her duties on the mic with Sky Sports, the 40-year-old said, “He’s [Sargeant] not super familiar in the United States. So I think there’s still going to be some advertisement, some marketing, some PR that he’s going to have to do.” 

Lessons of the past served as a perfect segue for Patrick to shower Sargeant with some pretty solid advice. “I suppose if there’s anything I learned is how valuable PR is. So it would benefit him to do a lot of media around these races domestically if you can.”

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Sargeant has displayed a sort of mentality that definitely deserves to be in F1. But how will the American fare in 2023 in a Williams?

Logan Sargeant has cause for optimism, heading into 2023

Pre-season tests are never a true precursor to the eventual pecking order. Be that as it may, you would still want to impress on your first proper running as a rookie. And Logan Sargeant did exactly that by being the fastest Williams driver during the tests with a 1m32.549s lap. But how does the Williams compare to the rest of the grid?

According to The Race, “It’s no surprise to see a car produced by a team that recently shed its technical director and head of aero being a little deficient in terms of downforce and therefore pace. But the fact the car worked well, even if it wasn’t especially quick, is a reason for optimism.”

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With all the hype and expectation around Sargeant’s rookie season, how will he perform compared to the rest of the grid?