Opinion: Williams was wrong to sacrifice Sargeant for Albon

If we still doubted the meager confidence placed in Williams à Logan sargeant, the events in Melbourne clarified the situation in an unstoppable manner.

A quick reminder of the facts first: victim of a crash during Free Practice 1 of the Australian Grand Prix, Alexander albon ran the risk of finding himself a pedestrian for the rest of the weekend in the Antipodes. Indeed, the chassis of its FW46 proved far too damaged to be repaired in time, and the Grove team (United Kingdom) did not have a third car.

Very quickly the idea emerged of entrusting Albon with the chassis of his teammate Logan Sargeant. Author of a generally complicated and disappointing 2023 campaign, the American was confirmed for 2024 at the last minute. His performances during the first two GPs of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia did not leave lasting memories.

The cryptic remarks of his boss James Vowles about Sargeant quickly instilled the beginnings of doubt about the Floridian's future in Formula 1 long-term.

« It is important for him to achieve good results (...) but not in this first part [seasonal], underlined the British leader before the Australian meeting. What we need to see from him is that he progresses as we move forward. This first phase of the season could imply that there is a risk of something happening if he is not performing well after three races, but that is not at all the case here. »

In Melbourne, Vowles decided to cut the snitch by ousting Sargeant in favor of Albon, yet responsible for his error in EL1.

« Logan shouldn't have to suffer for a mistake he didn't make, but every run counts when the midfield is tighter than ever, and so we made our pick based on our best scoring potential points this weekend “, declared the Grove team principal.

Much more efficient than Sargeant since the start of their collaboration (22-0 in qualifying last year, 27-1 in the Drivers' championship), Albon obviously represents Williams' best chance of entering the Top 10 in Melbourne.

However, sacrificing Sargeant this early in the season presents more risks than benefits.

Accidented in EL1, Alexander Albon will drive the Williams of Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the Australian weekend. / © DPPI

Double-edged joker

First of all, given the level of performance of the FW46s so far this year, it is not certain that Williams will score points this Sunday.

The 2024 season has only just started and the situation in the Manufacturers' Championship is far, very far from being settled or decisive.

If we were at the final in Abu Dhabi (December 6-8) and Williams had a good place overall by a few points, the choice of Grove would be totally logical and understandable.

But what's the point of undermining the morale of your second driver when there will still be 21 Grands Prix and six Sprints left after the Melbourne weekend? What was the point of having extended Sargeant if it was to publicly disavow him like this from the third meeting of the year?

Finally, what message are we sending to Albon by offering him such a joker? Is Williams looking to convince its leader to stay beyond the 2024 season, him whose name is circulating around Red Bull or Mercedes on the transfer market ?

Should Albon now expect to suffer no consequences in the event of an error? If he thanked his teammate profusely, the Thai would have been an even better sport by refusing to take poor Sargeant's place.

At almost 28 years old (he will celebrate this Saturday March 23), Albon is mature enough to accept the consequences of his actions.

In the end, Vowles made a decision which is reminiscent of what Jean Todt did in the heyday of Ferrari : an unpopular choice but one of cold logic for the good of the team.

It remains to be seen if he has not opened a Pandora's box whose effects will be felt throughout the season...

READ ALSO : Logan Sargeant: How far will Williams' patience go?