MELBOURNE, Australia — America’s Logan Sargeant will take no part in the Australian Grand Prix after Williams sacrificed his chassis for teammate Alex Albon, who damaged his own beyond repair on Friday.
The controversial call followed Albon’s heavy crash in opening practice.
Albon walked away unhurt but his car suffered extensive damage, including to the chassis. Williams later confirmed it did not have a spare in Melbourne.
The team said in a statement: “Williams Racing confirms that due to the extensive damage sustained, it is forced to withdraw the chassis for the remainder of the Grand Prix. This chassis will be returned to the team’s HQ at Grove for repair.”
With the damage effectively meaning the team would only have one car for the race, Williams opted to put Sargeant’s chassis on the car of his more experienced teammate.
It means Albon will drive in final practice on Saturday ahead of qualifying.
The decision highlights the precarious championship fight Williams finds itself in and the brutal reality of F1.
Williams team principal James Vowles said on Friday: “We are hugely disappointed that the damage sustained to the chassis has meant we need to withdraw it from the weekend.
“It’s unacceptable in modern day Formula 1 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.
“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.
“This decision was not made lightly, and we cannot thank Logan enough for his graceful acceptance, demonstrating his dedication to the team; he is a true team player. This will prove a tough weekend for Williams, and this situation is not one that we will put ourselves in again.”
Albon made his F1 debut in 2019 and, if the opportunity presents itself, is more likely to score points compared to F1 sophomore Sargeant — who scored only one point in 2023 compared to Albon’s 27.
Albon said: “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. 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.
“At this point though, I cannot dwell on the situation and my only job now is to maximise our potential this weekend and work with the whole team to make sure we do the best job possible.”
Meanwhile Sargeant said: “This is the hardest moment I can remember in my career and it’s absolutely not easy. 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.”
Williams is in the bottom five pack of cars, which this year finds itself far adrift of the top five.
With each team having two cars, and with points only handed down to the top ten finishers, the championship fight for that group is likely to be tight.
Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit has thrown up chaotic races in the past.
Albon’s form since he joined Williams has placed him high on the wish list of many teams looking for a driver in 2026, when he will be free from his existing contract.
By comparison, Williams only opted to renew for 2024 Sargeant late in last season and many in the paddock already feel he faces an uphill battle to secure a third season with the team — this week’s call might well highlight just how steep that climb is.