Williams chassis intact after Sargeant crash, 'but everything else is not'

On Wednesday, on the eve of the first tests at Suzuka, the two drivers Williams admitted that they had to drive “reasonably” after the episode of the Australian Grand Prix and the lack of spare chassis. This Friday, one of the two FW46s ended up in the wall during Free Practice 1. Logan sargeant made a mistake halfway through the first free practice session, at the exit of the Esses of the first sector. Coming out wide, he put two wheels in the grass before spinning in the gravel and hitting the Tecpros with both front and rear. The Williams, badly damaged, was unable to leave.

Working together and pushing flat out to repair Logan's car for the weekend 💙 pic.twitter.com/ktxszr9OQH

- Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) April 5, 2024

Obviously, concern immediately invaded the British clan: was the chassis going to be damaged again? Were we going to relive the grotesque situation in Melbourne? Answer: no. James Vowles wanted to reassure (or almost) about the condition of the FW46 chassis after its driver's accident. “[The damage is] quite significant. The chassis is OK, thankfully, but I'd say pretty much everything else is not. The suspensions are broken, the gearbox is cracked, it's major damage. »

There’s nothing quite like a “a bit of a stupid mistake” for Sargeant

During Free Practice 2, which was disrupted by rain, Logan Sargeant's Williams remained in the garage to continue repairs. The American returned to his accident, which he describes “a bit of a stupid mistake”. “I just put the car somewhere I didn't realize I was. This is a mistake I shouldn't make, especially during Free Practice 1, recognizes the Floridian. It wasn't like last year's mistake [Sargeant went off in the last corner during qualifying]: it wasn't too much pressure, but the team still suffered some damage. But fortunately, the situation turned out better than it could have. »

At a press conference, organized after FP1, James Vowles rushed to the aid of Logan Sargeant, providing his support in this complicated period for the 23-year-old driver. “I've been talking to him all week, all the last few weeks actually, because this is the time when you have to keep a driver very close to you, confided the Team Principal of Williams. You've kind of given them a very difficult situation to deal with, through no fault of their own. But he was honestly in a really good state of mind this week and last night again when I called him around 21 or 22 p.m., a really strong state of mind, he just wanted to get back in the car and leave, but not with the intention of proving to the world that he deserved a seat, just his normal approach to things. »

“And what you saw here is not a mistake on the part of a pilot who attacks to the limit, he added. It's a very different type of mistake, a frustrating mistake in every way, because it wasn't at the limit of what the car could do. There were many more turning possibilities. He just didn't know where the car was on the track versus where he expected it to be. So I don't think this is the reaction of someone who wasn't driving in Melbourne. I think this is more of a situation that could have happened at any time. »

ALSO READ > VIDEO – Logan Sargeant’s crash in FP1