Williams Formula One driver Logan Sargeant will miss the Australian Grand Prix after his car was given to team mate Alex Albon, who crashed heavily in Friday practice with no spare available.
The team announced that Albon’s wrecked car had to be withdrawn and sent back to the factory in England for repairs.
Due to the unavailability of a third chassis, Williams made the decision for Alex Albon to continue competing in the car that Sargeant had used during practice sessions.
Sargeant, who only scored one point in his rookie season last year, was understanding but acknowledged how challenging this situation was for him.
“This is the hardest moment I can remember in my career and it’s absolutely not easy,” the American driver stated in a released statement.
“I am however completely here for the team and will continue to contribute in any way that I can this weekend to maximise what we can do,” he added.
Team principal James Vowles expressed gratitude towards Sargeant for his cooperation and understanding during this challenging time.
“It’s unacceptable in modern day Formula One not to have a spare chassis, but it is a reflection of how behind we were in the winter period and an illustration of why we need to go through significant change in order to get ourselves in a better position for the future,” Vowles mentioned.
He further explained, “As a result, we have had some very difficult decisions to make this afternoon. While Logan should not have to suffer from a mistake that he did not make, every race counts when the midfield is tighter than ever, so we have made the call based on our best potential to score points this weekend.”
Albon’s crash caused a red flag in the first session, as he lost control and hit the barriers at turn six, damaging both sides of his car.
The Thai driver, who had a similar incident at the same turn last year, fortunately walked away from the crash unharmed.
“I have to be totally honest and say that no driver would want to give up his seat. I would never want anything like this to happen,” Albon expressed.
“Logan has always been a consummate professional and a team player from day one, and this won’t be an easy one for him to take.”
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London; Editing by Toby Chopra and Toby Davis)
