At the United States Grand Prix, American driver Logan Sargeant achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first American to score points in a Formula One race in 30 years. Competing for the Williams team, Sargeant secured a 10th-place finish on home soil in Austin, Texas. This achievement came after a dramatic race weekend that continued even after the checkered flag.
Initially, Sargeant crossed the finish line in 12th position. However, after post-race disqualifications of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc due to a technical infringement, the American driver was elevated two places to 10th. This result marked Sargeant’s first-ever Formula One point at the Circuit of the Americas. Additionally, Williams secured a double points finish, with Alex Albon being promoted to 9th place.
Sargeant, in his debut season in Formula One, bounced back from a challenging Sprint race on Saturday, where he finished at the back of the pack. The American driver’s performance in Austin was a significant improvement over the previous Qatar Grand Prix, where he retired due to intense dehydration caused by sweltering conditions.
Expressing his joy after the race, Sargeant stated, “It’s amazing to score my first point in F1 on home turf after the challenging weekend I’ve had. I’m so proud of this team and myself for the hard work and progress we’ve been making this season. We worked hard overnight to find a direction with the car that was going to be positive, and we found that.”
Sargeant, aged 22, is the first American driver on the Formula One grid since Alexander Rossi during the 2015 season. His 10th-place finish at the United States Grand Prix made him the first American point-scorer in Formula One since Michael Andretti at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix.
In the same race, Max Verstappen secured his 15th win in 18 races of the season, finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris. Despite having to manage a brake issue throughout much of the race, Verstappen maintained his lead. Red Bull Racing had already secured both the World Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships with multiple races to spare, marking their second consecutive year as champions.
Hamilton, who was chasing his first win in nearly two years, closed in on Verstappen during the final stages of the race but ultimately finished just over two seconds behind the Dutch driver.