In the second practice session of the Australian Grand Prix, Williams driver Alex Albon crashed in between the barriers at turn seven of Albert Park.
Albon caused irreparable damage to the car and was forced to retire from not only the session but also his vehicle was unable to continue for the remainder of the weekend.
Williams Team Principal James Vowles announced that the team did not have a spare chassis (the ‘skeleton’ or internal framing of the car) available to replace the damage to Albon’s car, therefore he would take control of teammate Logan Sargeant’s car.
The driver swap, while completely legal according to the FIA, caused outrage among fans, insisting that the American is the only party not at fault in the unfortunate situation – but he would unfairly sit out the rest of the weekend to allow Albon to continue.
Williams was not organised enough to have a spare chassis, on-site and still may not have one available until the Chinese Grand Prix, and Albon crashed his car in a practice session, handicapping the rest of the team for the remainder of the weekend.
Albon has taken to social media to express his respect for his teammate, and Vowles has openly expressed his fault within the situation.
However, neither of these disguises the fact that Sargeant has been, to put it lightly, screwed over by the team.
The final standings in the Melbourne Grand Prix saw Albon take 11th, just outside the points.
Vowles now has to decide whether to continue with Albon as their only driver – or hand the car back and give Sargeant a chance at the Japanese GP in just over a week.
Albon’s performance has led many to believe Sargeant will be the one suiting up and racing in Suzuka.
But my question is, how are you going to ask a driver to improve – both performance-wise and mentally – and then remove him from racing for something that wasn’t his fault, and not have it affect him?
Logan Sargeant of United States and Williams looks on in the garage during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
While his rookie season may have been uninspiring to the hearts of Williams fans, the team has expressed their constant support of the driver despite his response.
If Sargeant were to continue to drive last weekend, his confidence could have improved greatly.
It would reinforce the belief that he is worthy of his seat, and could definitely improve his performances in the future.
Vowles emphasised that Albon was put in the car to account for the small point differences that decide between millions of dollars. But using this opportunity to future-proof the driver lineup by improving Sargeant’s confidence, Williams’ points could shoot them up into the upper-mid pack of the leaderboard.
Formula 1 is a sport, but the sponsorship is almost as crucial to the success of the team as the drivers are.
Many of Williams’ American sponsors that Sargeant brought with him to the team invest because they want to see an American race, especially in response to the growth in popularity in his country.
This could also have an influence on Vowles’ decision in the near future – given how the situation panned out in Melbourne.
There is no denying that Sargeant has been unfairly treated by his own team, and it begs the question of whether it leads to a possible move in the future for the American.
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