Logan Sargent misses the Australian GP – during the F1 in Melbourne he has to leave his car to Alexander Albon.
Who has crashed his Williams.
Alexander Albon crashed his car during the first practice for F1 in Melbourne. He escaped uninjured, but the car was badly damaged with damage to the gearbox, engine and chassis.
Since Williams have no spare chassis, not enough spare parts on hand and there is no way to transport it to Australia either, the team makes a tough decision ahead of the year’s third race in Formula 1.
– We are hugely disappointed that the damage to the chassis has meant that we need to withdraw it from the weekend. Not having a spare chassis is unacceptable in today’s Formula 1, but it shows how far behind we were during the winter and why we need to implement significant changes to put ourselves in a better position for the future, says team boss James Vowles.
Logan Sargeant must leave his Williams to Alexander Albon during this weekend’s F1 in Melbourne. (AP-TT)
Why isn’t Logan Sargeant driving F1 in Melbourne?
Logan Sargeant must stand over F1 in Melbourne – despite not having made a mistake. He has to leave his car to Alex Albon who crashed his udner in the first practice.
– Although Logan shouldn’t have to suffer for a miss he didn’t make, every competition in the WC counts. Now that the midfield is tighter than ever, we’ve made this decision and it’s based on how we think we have the best chance of scoring points, continues Vowles.
– It was not an easy decision to make and we really appreciate that Logan has taken this the right way. It shows that he is a real team player. This will be a tough weekend for Williams, and we won’t be in this situation again.
Alexander Albon took 27 of Williams’ 28 points last year, the team has not taken a point in the opening two races this season.
– This is the most difficult moment I can remember in my career and it is certainly not easy. However, I am totally here for the team and will continue to contribute in any way I can this weekend to maximize what we can do,” said the American.
#Sargeant‘s car has been moved to #Albon‘s garage, so Logan will most likely no longer participate this weekend. Let’s remember that in FP1 Albon made a mistake and broke the chassis, but at #Williams they no longer have chassis due to the budget cap. This thing is surreal, Albon… pic.twitter.com/K1VZ6TDQFN
— f1news24 (@f1_news24) March 22, 2024
This means that F1 in Melbourne conducts the remaining practice, qualifying and race with 19 cars, not 20 as usual.
Briefly before the F1 in Melbourne
Ferrari impressed in the second practice, with Charles Leclerc first 0.4 seconds ahead Max Verstappen, and Carlos Sainz in third. But Max Verstappen had problems, which meant he only started practice two after 20 minutes.
The reason for the stoppage was that Verstappen made a mistake during the first session and drove off the track, damaging his floor.
– I think Ferrari drove their qualifying laps with maximum settings, we didn’t, says Red Bulls Helmut Marko till Sky.
– Therefore, three to four tenths is not so dangerous. On the other hand, Leclerc impressed in his race simulations, where we haven’t got the order of the settings yet.
He points out that the starting field is getting more even.
Incidentally, Zak Brown has extended his contract with McLaren. He will remain as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) until 2030.
Mercedes Lewis Hamilton got really lost in the settings and was the 18th man, you can read more about that here. You can see results from the training sessions here.
This weekend is also time for IndyCar and there is ten million in the pot. Read more about the spectacle, what the Swedes think and all times.
Dino Beganovic also runs the season’s second race in Formula 3. All times can be found here.
Who is driving where in F1 2025 – you can find the latest talk in this article. Team for deam. It’s Aftonbladet PLUS.