SARGEANT RETURNS HOME AS F1's GREAT AMERICAN HOPE

Embiid has been determined to win -- and campaigned for -- the MVP trophy for years. The third overall pick of the 2014 draft, Embiid missed his first two full seasons with injuries before settling in as one of the top...

The first driver to be shown in the opening video for every Formula One race broadcast in the United States is not reigning champion Max Verstappen or seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton or even resurgent Fernando Alonso. No, it is a 22-year-old part-time surfer with four F1 races on his resume. He has never won a championship at the elite level and only secured the Super License needed to compete in the global racing series last November. It is Logan Sargeant, a rookie for Williams Racing and the first American since Alexander Rossi in 2015 to earn a seat on the F1 grid. His breakout comes this weekend at the Miami Grand Prix, a true home race for Sargeant, who grew up in Fort Lauderdale. He's quiet and a bit introverted, still adjusting to being one of only 20 drivers in the world to race on the biggest stage in motorsports. Despite heavy promotion by both Williams and race organizers throughout South Florida, his team keeps him in a tight bubble outside of mandatory media obligations. Jenson Button, the 2009 F1 champion and a Williams ambassador, said Sargeant just needs time to adapt to the spotlight. “He’s a very down to earth individual and he really listens," Button told The Associated Press.

“Which is great because he’s like a sponge and that’s what you want at the start of your career. He’s young. A young individual. And I remember when I arrived in F1, I was so worried about saying or doing the wrong thing.