Williams F1 Chief Reacts to Logan Sargeant Fiery Crash as He Reveals Next Big Issue

Alex Harrington | Aug 24, 2024

May 2, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Williams driver Logan Sargeant (2) addresses the media in advance of the Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

During a tense practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, Williams Racing saw their American driver, Logan Sargeant, involved in a severe crash just 14 minutes into Saturday's FP3. Williams chief James Vowles has now responded to the incident.

The mistake occurred at Turn 4, where Sargeant lost control of his FW46 after his wheel grazed the wet grass, leading to a spin and collision with the barrier as the car bounced across the tarmac. Though the rear of the car caught fire, it was quickly seen to by marshals, and Sargeant walked away unharmed.

Despite this, the crash did substantial damage to the vehicle.

This crash could not have come at a worse time for Williams. The team had recently rolled out major upgrades on both its cars in a move to boost its performance. And on top of this, the team seemed strong so far this weekend.

The accident not only resulted in significant vehicular damage but also highlighted a pressing issue: a shortage of spare parts. If they're used on Sargeant's car now, they can't be used on teammate Alex Albon's - the stronger driver - car if something happens to him later this weekend.

Team Principal Vowles has his concerns regarding the timing and resources following the crash.

“There’s hundreds of hours spent on the update, it looks like it’s working, but there’s few of them in the world,” Vowles admitted before further elaborating on the difficulties of navigating parc ferme conditions, a period during which cars are under strict regulations and cannot be altered except for minor adjustments under supervision and with exactly the same parts.

“There’s a limited amount, so if something happens now to the other car, you need to make sure in parc ferme you have enough spares,” Vowles explained.“That’s more what I want to evaluate now, when we’re under parc ferme conditions, can we service both cars to a sufficient standard?"

The future seems uncertain for Sargeant who, it was confirmed, will not be returning with Williams next season, with Carlos Sainz set to replace him. The focus for Williams now is to navigate the logistical and technical challenges posed by Sargeant’s crash and maximize the effectiveness of the limited spares available to salvage the rest of the race weekend.

Their latest update reads, as reported by Sports Illustrated earlier today:

"We are assessing the chassis but it currently looks okay. We will aim to repair and build up the chassis to be ready for Qualifying, however with the amount of work to be completed it will be difficult, but we’ll give it everything."

We are assessing the chassis but it currently looks okay. We will aim to repair and build up the chassis to be ready for Qualifying, however with the amount of work to be completed it will be difficult, but we’ll give it everything. pic.twitter.com/1yaPzTK2Nu

— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) August 24, 2024