Logan Sargeant heads into his home FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) round at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) with a particularly strong connection to the manufacturer he now represents.
The former F1 driver has spent 2026 competing in LMGT3 with Proton Competition’s No. 88 Ford Mustang GT3 alongside Stefano Gattuso and Giammarco Levorato. His campaign also forms part of a longer-term programme, with Sargeant already confirmed among the factory drivers who will lead Ford’s return to the top level of endurance racing with its new Hypercar in 2027.
Before making that step, the 25-year-old wants to continue the progress demonstrated in Brazil when the No. 88 secured its best result of the season. The Lone Star Le Mans from 4–6 September now gives the American an opportunity to build on that fifth place in front of his home supporters.
Sargeant’s lifelong connection with Ford
Sargeant’s professional association with Ford may only be in its early stages, but the manufacturer has played a considerably longer role in his life.
Growing up in Florida, Ford vehicles remained a constant presence within his family. That history has made joining the Blue Oval particularly meaningful as he begins the next phase of his career in endurance racing.
“My dad’s had a Ford truck since I was born,” he said to FIAWEC.com. “He still has one today. Our whole life, we’ve had Ford cars and trucks – we’ve never not had one – so it almost feels like home to me.”
The connection adds further significance to WEC’s only American round. Sargeant has previously competed at COTA during his single-seater career and continues to receive considerable support in the United States following his time in F1.
“It’s always fun to race in front of a home crowd,” mulled the Fort Lauderdale-born racer. “I still get a lot of support from fans from my Formula 1 days, and a lot of them are happy to see me with Ford now.”
His return to COTA therefore combines a home race with an opportunity to represent an American manufacturer as Ford continues expanding its global motorsport programme.
Proton Competition progressing after São Paulo breakthrough
Sargeant’s immediate focus remains the No. 88 Mustang GT3 and building on Proton Competition’s strongest showing of the campaign.
His WEC season began at Imola in April, where the car finished inside the points on his championship debut. The team then worked through a more difficult run before making a significant step forward during the most recent round at Interlagos.
Sargeant, Gattuso and Levorato finished fifth in LMGT3 at the 6 Hours of São Paulo, giving the crew its best result of 2026 and bringing the Mustang into the fight closer to the front.
The American has also needed to adapt to a different working environment after spending most of his career in single-seaters.
“They both have tons of experience. I’m enjoying the dynamic of working as a team – something I’m not so used to from my single-seater days!”
Sharing a car requires drivers to work around different preferences while contributing towards one combined result. That adjustment has become another part of Sargeant’s preparation for the future.
Brazil provided an encouraging indication that the work is beginning to produce stronger results.
“Fortunately, Brazil was a huge turnaround for us. It was good to really be able to fight at the front. We’re going in the right direction, and the goal for COTA is to build upon the progress we made last time out and, hopefully, pick up a podium.”
A podium would comfortably surpass the No. 88’s previous best and provide Sargeant with his strongest WEC result immediately before the championship enters its closing rounds.
LMGT3 campaign preparing Sargeant for Hypercar step
Sargeant’s 2026 season also serves a broader purpose as Ford prepares to enter WEC’s Hypercar category next year.
The American was one of the first three factory drivers announced for the programme alongside Sebastian Priaulx and 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller. Ford subsequently added Matt Campbell, Tom Blomqvist and Nick Yelloly to its growing roster.
For Sargeant, spending a full season within WEC gives him an opportunity to understand the championship before stepping into its top category.
“It’s a huge privilege for me. I want to go into Hypercar next year as prepared as I can be, and this year in LMGT3 is a big part of that preparation.”
The experience extends beyond simply learning new circuits. Endurance racing demands an understanding of multiclass traffic, long-run tyre management, driver changes and the strategic compromises required when three drivers share one car.
Those lessons should become increasingly valuable once Sargeant moves into Ford’s Hypercar programme.
Ford encouraged by first full Hypercar test
Development of Ford’s yet-to-be-named Hypercar has already moved onto the circuit. The manufacturer completed its first full test at Circuit Paul Ricard during the summer, running for three days near chassis partner ORECA’s facilities in France. The programme followed extensive simulator and dyno work as Ford begins preparing for its 2027 WEC debut.
Sargeant participated in the early development running and came away encouraged by how quickly the project established a useful baseline.
“We really hit the ground running,” he opined. “Starting testing from where we did is a huge credit to the team. There have already been countless hours poured into this project, including a ton of time in the simulator. Now, it’s about making sure everything comes together flawlessly, and that’s the next step for us.”
Ford still has a substantial development programme ahead before the car races competitively. However, completing its early mileage without major setbacks has allowed the team to begin gathering the data required to refine both performance and reliability.
For Sargeant, that work also provides another opportunity to rebuild his career after leaving F1 and establish himself within a factory endurance programme.
Le Mans provides ultimate target for Sargeant in 2027
Ford’s return to WEC’s top category carries particular historical significance. The American manufacturer remains synonymous with its victories over Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans during the 1960s. Ford now wants to compete for overall honours at the French endurance classic again when its Hypercar programme begins in 2027.
Sargeant has an opportunity to become part of that story from its beginning.
“To bring Ford back to the top class of endurance racing – and from day one – is very special,” he acknowledged in conclusion. “To have the opportunity to win at Le Mans with Ford will be amazing, and I’m going to be pushing hard to try to make that a reality.”
That ambition remains further down the road. For now, COTA gives Sargeant a more immediate target.
After Proton Competition’s progress in São Paulo, he heads to Texas looking for the first LMGT3 podium of his WEC career while continuing to build the experience Ford hopes will make him ready for its return to Hypercar competition in 2027.
