Logan Sargeant made history at the Dutch Grand Prix this past weekend when he became the first American since Andretti in 1993 to reach Q3. However, he saw his main race ending prematurely after he crashed into the barriers on lap 16. While the spotlight has been on the 22-year-old because of his recent struggles, Williams confirmed that his crash at Zandvoort was a result of a problem with the car and not because of a driver error.
This would have provided Sargeant with a sense of comfort as he has come under increasing pressure recently. The former F2 driver’s failure to match Alex Albon this season resulted in rumors that Williams could replace him with Mick Schumacher. However, the British outfit’s recent remarks seem to suggest that they are completely behind Sargeant.
Medland confirms Williams took the blame for Sargeant’s crash
F1 journalist Chris Medland took to social media to confirm that Williams had taken the blame for Logan Sargeant’s crash. Medland tweeted that Williams team principal James Vowles confirmed that the American’s car had lost hydraulic pressure before his crash.
James Vowles confirms Logan Sargeant lost hydraulic pressure before his crash – meaning no power steering and he just sailed wide. Says it’s down to the team to rally round him and pick him up for Monza as it wasn’t his error #F1 #DutchGP
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) August 27, 2023
As a result, the 22-year-old had no power steering and could not prevent himself from going wide. Hence, Vowles made it clear that Sargeant did not crash because of any mistake on his part.
This would have been a huge sense of relief to Sargeant, who watched the rest of the race from the sidelines after his crash. Since the American’s confidence is currently low, Vowles believes that it is the team’s responsibility to help their driver.
James Vowles keen on helping Logan Sargeant amidst his struggles
Since Logan Sargeant has been struggling this season, James Vowles has made it clear that Williams will do everything in their potential to help the driver before they make a decision on whether the 22-year-old is best suited for their team or not. In a recent interview with Mirror Sport, Vowles stated that although F1 is a “meritocracy,” it does not mean that the team should lose confidence in each other after just a few bad races.
The 44-year-old stated that Sargeant is well aware of his responsibility and knows better than anyone else that he needs to deliver his best if he is to keep his seat in the future. Vowles also added that until Williams does not make a decision about their future drivers, his “Plan A” is yet to stick with Sargeant.
According to mirror.co.uk, the driver who is most linked with the Williams team is Mick Schumacher. The German himself is desperate to get back on the grid, having seen his stint with Haas end last season because of poor performances on his part.
