Williams made the decision to give Alex Albon Logan Sargeant’s chassis for the Australian GP after Albon’s car was severely damaged in Free Practice. Williams had a difficult start to the 2024 F1 season and has yet to score any points. However, things took a turn for the worse at the Australian GP when Albon’s chassis crashed during FP1 and became unusable for the entire weekend.
Following the crash, Sargeant’s chassis was given to Albon for the weekend. Sargeant had to sit on the sidelines while Albon raced for the team. This was a challenging moment in Sargeant’s career. Williams faced criticism for this decision from various people on the grid, including an F1 pundit.
The situation was explained by Craig Slater, who described it as “brutal and ruthless” for Sargeant. The fans were in favor of the sidelined driver, as he was not responsible for the damaged chassis. However, Slater emphasized that the decision was made in the best interest of the team. In the previous season, Albon had outperformed Sargeant, scoring 27 points compared to Sargeant’s one point. Therefore, it was necessary for Williams to provide the car to the better-performing driver.
Many fans were disappointed with Sargeant’s situation at the Australian GP. Albon’s mistake not only affected the team but also impacted the 23-year-old driver. Team principal James Vowles acknowledged how this decision hurt Sargeant but also praised his performance in the season so far.
The damaged chassis will be taken back to the factory in Grove to be fixed before the next race. The team wants to have two functioning cars for the Japanese GP to maximize their chances of scoring points. This entire situation has raised concerns for the Grove-based team.
Williams needs to improve their performance and regain their form in order to start scoring points. Based on recent performances, the team may face issues later in the season, similar to the previous year. As a result of the crash, Albon will be the sole Williams driver in the Australian GP and will try to earn as many points as possible.