Williams Makes Tough Call: Albon to Use Sargeant's Car After Turn 6 Incident

During Friday morning’s first free practice session at the Australian Grand Prix, Albon experienced a significant accident at Turn 6, necessitating a chassis change for the Anglo-Thai driver. As Williams lacked a spare chassis, they decided to let Albon use teammate Sargeant’s car,leading to Sargeant sitting out the remainder of the weekend. Team boss James Vowles explained that while it was unfortunate for Sargeant, the decision was made to optimize the team’s potential for scoring points.

Albon expressed gratitude for Sargeant’s professionalism and emphasized the need to focus on maximizing performance. Sargeant, though disappointed, pledged full support to the team. The absence of a spare chassis highlighted the challenges Williams faced in preparing the FW46 for the season. Vowles acknowledged the need for significant changes to improve the team’s future prospects. Regarding the crash, Albon described being surprised by the car’s reaction after hitting the kerbs at Turn 6.