Albon suffered a big accident during Friday morning’s first free practice session, which prompted a chassis change for the Anglo-Thai driver.
Because Williams didn’t have a spare chassis at its disposal, the Grove team has decided to let Albon use team-mate Sargeant’s car, meaning the American will sit out the rest of the Melbourne weekend.
“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,” team boss James Vowles he said.
“This decision was not made lightly, and we cannot thank Logan enough for his graceful acceptance, demonstrating his dedication to the team; he is a true team player. This will provide a tough weekend for Williams, and this situation is not one that we “we will put ourselves in again.”
Albon was responsible for 27 out of Williams’ 28 points scored during the 2023 season.
Albon said: “I have to be totally honest and say that no driver would want to give up his seat. I would never want anything like this to happen.
“Logan has always been a consummate professional and a team player since day one, and this won’t be an easy one for him to take. At this point though, I cannot dwell on the situation and my only job now is to maximize our potential this weekend and work with the whole team to make sure we do the best job possible.”
Alex Albon, Williams FW46
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Sargeant added: “This is the hardest moment I can remember in my career and it’s absolutely not easy. I am however completely here for the team and will continue to contribute in any way that I can this weekend to maximize what we can do.”
More to follow
