F1 News: Logan Sargeant Reflects On Japanese GP FP1 Crash - ‘Silly Error I Shouldn’t Be Making’

Logan Sargeant reacts to his crash during the first free practice session ahead of the Japanese GP.

May 6, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Williams driver Logan Sargeant (2) of the United States / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Logan Sargeant's Japanese Grand Prix weekend began with an unfortunate incident during the first practice session, leading to a self-described "silly error" that resulted in a significant crash. The collision with the wall caused considerable damage to his car but, fortunately, did not lead to any chassis damage and the American driver was able to walk away from the crash unscathed.

Key Takeaways:

• During the Japanese Grand Prix's FP1 session, Logan Sargeant encountered a significant setback due to a self-described "silly error," resulting in a crash.
• The incident led to substantial damage to the FW46, particularly affecting the suspension and gearbox, though the recently repaired chassis was not compromised.
• Despite missing FP2 for repairs, the impact on Sargeant's weekend was somewhat mitigated by the second session's limited running due to damp track conditions.

Jun 18, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Williams driver Logan Sargeant (USA) parades and salutes the / David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

Misjudging his trajectory at the Dunlop Curve Sargeant inadvertently placed the right side of his car onto the grass leading him to lose control and crash into the barrier. The Williams FW46 sustained damage to both the front and rear of the car, including the suspension system and gearbox. Fortunately, the chassis remained intact which was a strike of luck for the team after only running with one car in Australia due to not having a spare, which is still the case in Japan.

Reflecting on the incident, Sargeant expressed regret over the mistake, as quoted by Autosport:

“I put the car into place I didn't realise I was at.

It's a bit of a silly error, to be honest, one that I shouldn't be making, especially in P1.

“But yeah, fortunately, it wasn't like the mistakes last year, it wasn't an over-pushing thing, but nevertheless still left the team with some damage. Fortunately got away better than it could have been.”

When asked if having to give up his seat for teammate Alex Albon in Australia had knocked his confidence, the American driver quickly responded:

“Definitely [my confidence] wasn't knocked at all.

“If anything I came into this round after a week off feeling more fresh and ready to go than ever.

“So no confidence lost. I wanted to kick myself a little bit after today, but nothing to do with that, just a visual error that I'll move forward from tomorrow.”

Oct 20, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; Logan Sargeant of Williams Racing during qualifying for the / Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

The repercussions of the crash meant that Sargeant was unable to participate in the second practice session, as the team's mechanics were engaged in extensive repairs. However, the wet conditions on the track limited the amount of useful data teams could gather during FP2, meaning Sargeant's absence was less detrimental than it might have been in dry conditions.

Williams Team Principal James Vowles weighed in on the incident, emphasising that Sargeant's error was not due to pushing beyond the car's limits but rather a spatial misjudgment. He clarified:

“What you saw here wasn't a driver making a mistake because they were pushing to the limits.

“It's a very different type of mistake, a frustrating one by all accounts because it wasn't on the limit of what the car could do.

“There was far more turning potential in it, he just didn't know where the car was on track, relative to where he expected it to be anyway.

“So I don't think you're seeing there the reaction of someone that wasn't driving in Melbourne, you're seeing more just a situation that could have appeared at any time.”