Williams’ driver, Alex Albon, arrived at the Melbourne track with high expectations. However, as soon as he entered the track with his FW46, he had a big crash. Following that, since the team mechanics could not fix the chassis in time, Williams was consequently forced to field just one car this weekend, and they managed to do so by compelling Logan Sargeant to give up his spot for the Thai driver. However, Alex Albon couldn’t do much as he finished qualifying at P12, behind Lewis Hamilton. In light of this, the 28-year-old has now described the team environment as ‘unpleasant.’
Autosport reports Albon saying that, “The atmosphere at Williams is “not pleasant.” After his FP1 crash meant the decision was made for him to race Sargeant’s car.”
It’s probably not a cause for concern that Albon made these remarks right after praising Sargeant’s sportsmanship. Since Albon already acknowledged feeling ‘weird,’ to qualify for the Australian Grand Prix in Sargeant’s vehicle.
Moreover, at that time, the 28-year-old promised to get Williams and his teammate some points to salvage the weekend. However, now that he’s qualified for P12, it appears that there may have been tension within the team.
Albon’s sense of enhanced responsibility is another factor contributing to the pressure. According to ESPN, the Thai driver previously said that it’s one thing to feel pressured to try to perform. However, when a person is provided with a responsibility, it surely comes with additional pressure. Nevertheless, Albon stated that the only thing he can do to relieve himself of the extra burden is to concentrate on his work and enjoy the weekend as any other regular one.
What did Alex Albon’s teammate Logan Sargeant say of the ongoing predicament?
In FP1, Albon lost control and slid into the barriers, then bounced off into the barrier across the track. Later, when Williams inquired about the possibility of having his car fixed, the team discovered that the “car’s extensive damage” would require it to be returned to the team’s base. Because of this mistake by Albon, Logan Sargeant was forced to pay as the American would have to sit out for the race weekend.
Although Albon’s error shouldn’t cost the #2 driver a race weekend, the team has good grounds for adopting this strict measure. As quoted by ap news.com team boss James Vowles said, “While Logan should not have to suffer from a mistake that he did not make, every race counts when the midfield is tighter than ever. So we have made the call based on our best potential to score points this weekend.”
Indeed, since they teamed up last year, Albon has outscored Sargeant 27-1 in points. Nevertheless, throughout the entire ordeal, Sargeant has kept his calm, though that hasn’t stopped him from commenting on the situation. As per Sargeant, this is the ‘hardest moment he can remember in his career and it’s not easy.’ He does, however, continue to state that he is ready to help the team in whatever way he can.
This gesture from Sargeant seems to have impressed team boss Vowles quite a lot. As the ex-Mercedes man says he cannot thank Sargeant enough for his graceful acceptance, which showcases that he is a ‘team player.’ Besides, Vowles says it’s unacceptable that Williams didn’t have an extra chassis on hand and that he’ll make sure that it doesn’t happen again in the future.
