Logan Sargeant had a major crash during the first practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix, adding to the challenges facing his Williams team.
He wasn’t able to compete in the last race in Australia because his teammate, Alex Albon, wrecked his car during the first practice, and Williams didn’t have an extra chassis.
Sargeant, now driving with the repaired chassis at Suzuka this weekend, lost control at the high-speed Dunlop corner.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen was in the lead for Red Bull, followed by Sergio Perez, with Carlos Sainz from Ferrari trailing behind.
During his first lap on the soft tires midway through the session, American driver Sargeant went a bit wide on Suzuka’s long left-hander, which marks the end of the famous Esses section of the track. This corner is one of the many challenging ones on Suzuka.
Unfortunately, he ended up running onto the curb, got caught in the gravel, and spun, hitting the barriers with a significant impact.Despite Williams’ tough situation with spare parts, Sargeant had mentioned earlier that he wouldn’t be holding back during the race weekend. “It’s Formula 1,” he said. “If you’re cautious, you won’t make it.
So, being fully committed and confident is non-negotiable, even though there’s always a risk.”It’s unclear if Sargeant’s crash will have similar consequences to those in Melbourne for Williams, given their limited spare parts after a challenging winter. Verstappen was leading the pack, with Perez close behind and Sainz following. Mercedes’ Russell and Hamilton secured fourth and fifth positions, ahead of Leclerc and Alonso.
McLaren’s Piastri and Norris were eighth and tenth, with Tsunoda in between. Additionally, Formula 2 driver Ayumu Iwasa, testing in Ricciardo’s Red Bull as part of his driver development program, secured the 16th position.
Several teams, including Red Bull and Aston Martin, introduced significant upgrades, particularly focusing on aerodynamics, especially around the floor of the car.
