The 2024 Australian GP turned out to be a nightmare for Williams after Alex Albon’s FP1 crash. The team did not travel to the Albert Park street circuit with a spare chassis, and the extensive damage to Albon’s FW46 meant that they could run only one car for the rest of the Grand Prix weekend. In the build-up to the 2024 Japanese GP, team principal, James Vowles was asked if a spare chassis was in the plans, to which the British engineer replied in the negative. Hence, the team runs the risk of a Melbourne repeat at the Suzuka International Circuit.
Answering fan questions while reviewing the Australian GP, Vowles revealed as per a YouTube video on Williams’ channel, “We won’t have a spare chassis in Japan. That said, we will have a [spare] chassis soon.”
The lack of spare at the Australian GP meant that the team had to take the tough decision of benching Logan Sargeant and give his car to Albon. The British-Thai driver could only finish P11 meaning the team went away from Melbourne pointless.
Vowles explained that the reason for not having the spare chassis ready by the time Japan came around was actually down to two factors. A delay in fabricating the parts pushed back the original plan of having a third chassis ready from the very beginning of the season. Albon’s crash and the subsequent work happening on his chassis has also meant a delay in preparing the spare.
Williams are treading on dangerous territory after their Australian GP mishap. Both the drivers will now have to be extra careful to not make a mistake at the Suzuka International Circuit, which is traditionally a very fast-paced and error-prone track.
Will Williams have Alex Albon’s car ready for the 2024 Japanese GP?
While the team will not be able to field a third chassis during the Japanese Grand Prix, another big point of contention is whether they would be able to repair Albon’s original chassis in time for the race that will happen next weekend from April 5-7.
During the Australian GP debrief on YouTube, Vowles did reveal that the damaged chassis would be repaired and the team were even looking to add on some upgrades which according to the British engineer are “small items” but contribute to the bigger picture.
“It’s one of the hardest decisions I’ve made.”
James reflects on Friday at the #AusGP. pic.twitter.com/nubSpIhiIn
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) March 22, 2024
Repairing the FW46 that Albon had crashed during the first Free Practice session of last weekend’s race was no mean feat. The team had to reallocate a lot of man hours and workload to ensure that the chassis could be up and running at the next race weekend.
That being said, all the work done by the boys and girls back at the factory could be at risk once again at the Japanese GP. The Suzuka circuit is known for its high-speed action and proximity to the barriers.
