Christian Horner said Formula 1 needs "an American Max Verstappen" to take advantage of the sport's popularity spurt in the US.
F1 has worked for decades to crack the American market, to varying degrees of success. In recent years, though, the sport has made unprecedented progress on that front, using the personalities of the drivers and team bosses to attract a new audience through the Drive to Survive programme.
Those new US-based fans will have a new hero to cheer on this year. Logan Sargeant, making his F1 debut for Williams, is the sport's first American driver since Alex Rossi took part in a handful of Grands Prix – the last of which came in 2015.
While the Floridian's presence on the grid will certainly not harm US interest in the sport, Horner is not so sure it will move the needle too much either. For that to happen, the Red Bull boss believes, an American will need to be competing at the front of the pack.
"Imagine if there was an American Max Verstappen," he said, speaking to the New York Post. "What we need is a young, talented, competitive American driver.
"It's great to have [Sargeant] there and he's a talented young guy, [but] he's going to be limited in what he can do. The problem is, if you're finishing 14th or 15th it doesn't really turn people on.
"I think, if he was fighting at the front in a competitive car, then you'd see [something like] what happened with Fernando [Alonso] in Spain, or Checo [Perez] and the reaction in Mexico. So that’s what we need: an American driver fighting for victories and world championships."
Speaking to Mirror Sport in December, Sargeant said he knows there will be expectation upon him as his country's sole representative on the F1 grid. "It's exciting, and it's definitely a privilege to even have this opportunity," he said.
"These opportunities come around once in a lifetime and now it's my job to make the most of that. It comes down to the pressure of making sure I prepare for that the best I possibly can, physically, mentally, as well as getting as well acquainted with the team as I can. That's the goal, and hopefully we can perform next year."
