2023 F1 Saudi Arabian GP: Williams driver Logan Sargeant feels track changes have reduced 'blind fear'

Williams F1 driver Logan Sargeant recently stated how the changes in the Jeddah Corniche Circuit have reduced the fear factor.

Several rookie F1 drivers, like Sargeant and Oscar Piastri, will be driving in the 2023 F1 Saudi Arabian GP for the very first time. Since it is the fastest street circuit in the sport, it can be quite daunting for new drivers.

Speaking to the media, including Sportskeeda, Logan Sargeant explained how the widening of certain corners on the circuit will definitely help drivers visually. He stated that it would reduce the fear of turning into a blind corner at such high speeds.

The American rookie also mentioned how the backside of some exit kerbs has also been elevated, which will prevent the car from bottoming out. He explained:

“The changes that they made are definitely positive from a driver's perspective. Visually, being much more open, it takes away a bit of that blind fear feeling of not knowing what's around the corner. They've elevated the back side of the exit kerbs to ultimately stop bottoming. So I think all that is positive and more reasonable for a driver.”

Though Logan Sargeant performed well in the 2023 F1 Bahrain GP, he and other drivers had loads of time to learn the track during pre-season testing and three practice sessions.

The Saudi Arabian GP will be much more difficult for the Williams driver and the other F1 rookies. The track is known for bringing out safety cars and raising red flags due to how fast and narrow it is.

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Logan Sargeant shared a difficult time he experienced during his career

Logan Sargeant recently opened up about a dark time in his career when he lost all hope of pursuing his dream of racing in F1.

Long before he was signed by the Williams F1 team, the American competed in the F3 championship with Prema back in 2020. That year, he met with an unfortunate accident in the penultimate race, eventually losing the championship to Oscar Piastri.

When he returned to F3 in 2021 with Charouz Racing, Sargeant was not a championship contender and was only able to win one race. At this time, he thought that he would never make it to F1.

Sargeant recalled:

“I was 100% sure it was dead at that point, to be honest. At that point, I just thought, ‘Okay, it’s going to be heading towards the LMP or IndyCar route.' Which at the time I was content with. It was just my reality at the time. That’s where I felt like was my only two places I could still turn to."

In 2021, Sargeant gradually made up his mind to move to endurance racing or the IndyCar series. Fortunately, in 2022, he was soon given the offer to join Williams and race in his dream racing series.