Media Watch: Rounding up the news this week

After a Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that was full of learnings for Williams Racing, it’s time to look back at some of the key talking points in the media this week.

Read on for our round-up of the main press coverage - on both our team and Formula 1 more generally - from the week just gone.

In a wide-ranging interview with planetf1.com, Williams Racing driver Logan Sargeant spoke about how he’s settling into life at the pinnacle of motorsport and his excitement for the year ahead.

Logan, who is the United States’ first full-time F1 driver since 2007, made it clear that while his full focus is on preparing for each and every race in his debut season, he just can’t wait to go racing in his home nation later this year.

“Having the opportunity to have three home grands prix is more special than stressing about the pressure of them,” he said.

“I feel like, if anything, they’re more uplifting to be able to be on home soil, to have my family there to support me, to have my friends there – they’re more just a pleasure and a gift than anything else.”

Alex Albon put in a positive showing at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and was even flirting with points-paying positions after climbing to P13, but a brake failure would, unfortunately, bring his day to an early conclusion.

While Albono was understandably disappointed after being forced to retire from the race, he was full of optimism when reflecting afterwards.

“It’s not been that tough, it’s a lot of positives to take from it,” Alex said.

“It’s the best the car has felt since my time driving at Williams, so that’s very positive.

“It’s more frustrating because we had a lot of potential in the car this weekend, and we couldn’t use it. It’s just [in] qualifying we didn’t quite get it right. But in the race we were fine, we were back to where we normally are.”

While it wasn’t the best weekend for Logan in Jeddah, our young American emerged from one of the most unforgiving circuits on the calendar full of learnings.

Qualifying may not have gone his way on Saturday, but Sarge showed plenty of speed and determination in Sunday’s Grand Prix to finish his second-ever F1 race in a respectable P16.

We may only be a few weeks into the new season, but Logan is relishing the opportunity to learn and is feeling more comfortable every time he steps into the FW45.

“Over the past two races, I’ve learned an enormous amount,” he said.

“I feel like everything is becoming more natural, and I’m trying to get things to become second nature and keep implementing them.

“It’s not going to happen all at once. It’s more a case of constantly building and understanding better. I can take that going into Melbourne and hopefully replicate [it] and keep improving.”

F1 is set for three grands prix in the US this year, but if there’s one race that’s already grabbing the headlines, it’s the sport’s return to Las Vegas.

In this deep dive into the growth of the sport in the States, motorsport.com highlight Vegas as “the ultimate differentiator for F1 in the US” while also underlining the importance of having an American F1 driver like Logan.

“For Americans, Las Vegas is that getaway, that escape.

“It's extravagant, excessive and exaggerated. There's a reason why it's said that ‘what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.’

“The Las Vegas Grand Prix is poised to take American fandom to the next level.”

Amidst all the Jeddah reaction, you may have missed that we released our first line of limited-edition merch for 2023, in the form of our Australia collection.

Our Melbourne merch celebrates all things ‘Straya with a kangaroo-themed badge and the nation’s icon green and gold running through the entire range.

A t-shirt, tank top, hoodie and cap complete this stunning new line, which is available to buy in our official online store, or at our Melbourne pop-up all next week.