Logan Sargeant, a driver for Williams Racing, experienced a crash during the initial practice session of the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. This incident occurred on April 5, 2024, during the fourth round of the Formula 1 World Championship.
As a result of the crash, Sargeant will not be participating in Friday’s FP2 session at Suzuka. However, the good news is that he escaped without any damage to his FW46 chassis, which had previously been repaired and sent back to the team from Melbourne, Australia. The chassis had been damaged in a previous crash involving Sargeant’s teammate, Alex Albon, during the opening practice of the Australian Grand Prix.
During the first Formula 1 session in Japan, Sargeant veered off the track at the Dunlop corner, a fast right-hand turn. This caused him to collide with the barriers, resulting in damage to the left rear and front end of his car. Williams now faces a race against time to repair the car in time for the FP2 session, although Team Principal James Vowles acknowledges that the extensive damage will make this task challenging.
Unfortunately, the damage sustained by Sargeant’s car proved to be too extensive to repair in time for the session. However, the chassis itself remained undamaged, providing some relief. Vowles described the damage as significant, with the suspension, gearbox, and other components affected.
Vowles also explained that Sargeant’s off-track incident occurred at the top of a hill, where the driver had difficulty determining his position on the track. It seems that Sargeant was unaware of the grassy area on the outside of the track and accidentally placed a wheel on it.