The Williams F1 team have been forced to cough up £84 after Logan Sargeant broke regulations during FP1 for the Dutch Grand Prix. The American, who will be replaced by Carlos Sainz for the 2025 season, exceeded the pit lane speed limit as his difficult season continues.
The limit at Circuit Zandvoort is 60km/h, less than the usual 80km/h due to the narrow size of the pit lane.
Sargeant, 23, was found to be very narrowly above the new limit, costing the British team a paltry sum.
Under F1 regulations, the driver breached Article 34.7. The FIA duly confirmed: “Car 2 exceeded the pit lane speed limit which is set at 60 km/h for this event by 0.5 km/h.”
Sargeant eventually finished 15th fastest in the session, with his hopes of a first top-10 finish of the 2024 season this weekend looking remote. He managed just a solitary point in the last campaign and crossed the line 19th in his home Grand Prix in Texas.
And as it stands, he is without a drive for next year after it was announced Sainz would be joining Williams when he leaves Ferrari. The Spaniard will partner Alexander Albon, who has four points to his name this season.
Sargeant has been regularly criticised in the media for his performance levels since switching to Williams from Formula Two team Carlin in 2022. But ahead of taking to the track in the Netherlands, he was praised by team principal James Vowles for his reaction to being displaced by Sainz.
“One of the strengths that’s underrated in his regard is he has a huge mental resilience,” said Vowles. “He takes punishment in the media, in the world, really, almost weekend on weekend.
“But when it comes the following weekend, he’s cleared his mind of that and he’s here just to perform fundamentally. And he builds up to the weekend in the way it needs to be,” he revealed.”
