Williams driver Logan Sargeant is confident that he's feeling more mentally resilient heading into his second season in Formula 1, after admitting that the pressure of his rookie campaign had been hard to bear at times.
Sargeant was the final driver to be confirmed for the 2023 season, with his place on the grid depending on his final outing in F2 earning him enough superlicence points to make him eligible.
Sargeant finished his F2 experience in fourth place in the championship behind the likes of Felipe Drugovich, Théo Pourchaire and Liam Lawson, none of whom were able to get a spot on last year's Grand Prix grid.
Many attributed his seat at Williams to his nationality, with F1's owners desperate to have an American driver in the mix. One of three new drivers on the grid, Sargeant had to wait until the US GP in November before clinching his maiden championship point.
Although official confirmation of his retention by Williams once again came very late, Sargeant is able to head into 2024 feeling a lot more assured and with the knowledge and experience to rely on to see him through the harder times
"When you come in as a rookie, it's really easy to be overexcited, you have all this sense of energy, and eventually it'll catch up with you," he said.
"Reminding yourself to look after your health throughout the year can make a big difference," he offered. "Just building up a level of resilience throughout the year," Sargeant told Australian sports website Speedcafe this month.
“There are so many things, just always trying to look after your mind as well," he commented. "I'd be lying if I said there weren't a lot of hard times, so just pushing through those, finding another gear when you need it.
"Being able to pick yourself back up, block out the noise - I feel like I became much better at that throughout the year," he said.
“It's also about working with the people I need to work with, not letting a mistake hold you back, because if you do that it's not going to work out.
“You have to understand that when you make a mistake, you look at it, understand it, and if there's a reason to make any changes, figure out what is the best way to go about it.
"When you get back in the car, there can't be a single thought. You just have to get straight back into going for it," he continued.
“The only way you can figure that out for yourself is through trial and error, through mistakes. Unfortunately it sucks, but it's the truth," he said. “You never stop learning about yourself."
Sargeant is open about the benefits of working with a sports psychologist: "The actual offloading of whatever it may be, it can be with a friend, it doesn't have to be with a sports psychologist. They're just there to guide the way."
And it's not just the on-track pressure that Sargeant has been seeking ways to cope. “In the past, in the junior formulas, you can get away with just natural ability,” he said. “In F1, a lot more goes into it.
"There's a lot more outside noise, whether that's media, marketing, partnerships, sim days. You're non-stop and a lot of that takes a toll on your mind," he explained.
“Once you can get that under control, you can start to move forward from a mental point of view.
“I've learned to take a step back. It's very easy to get caught up in the moment and not appreciate what you have, what you're doing," he summarised. "You need to do that to get your head back in the right place.
"That's completely normal, not something that is just [being] a rookie. We all experience that, we all get tired through a season," he said. “That's when you have to remind yourself how lucky you are to be where you are.”
For all his progress, Sargeant will be up against it again this season. He was the only deriver to be whitewashed 22-0 in qualifying by his team mate, Alexander Albon, and faces pressure to keep his seat against the likes of Lawson, Drugovich and Frederik Vesti in 2025.
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