Williams are making a MISTAKE giving Logan Sargeant's car to Alex Albon...

Alex Albon shunted in FP1, but Williams don't have a spare chassis. So, he's taking Logan Sargeant's car, which means the American will be sitting out of this years Australian Grand Prix.
Here's why I think that decision from Williams is a mistake.
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#TommoF1

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Imagine if Alex crashes again this weekend... 😬

[@utkurhalilov2430]

And Imagine if Logan flopped. Which in this case it's a certainty.

[@GregAllenF1]

I really hope Albon does now to just to make a point.

[@GregAllenF1]

@@utkurhalilov2430Williams is going to suck regardless who is in the seat lmao

[@petersmith6678]

The likelyhood that logan would crash is way higher, conciderign last season, so Alex is the safer hands by a mile, even with this crash.

[@infinite_h1767]

​@@utkurhalilov2430the what is the point of resigning him

[@mehbabeh]

Sargent's confidence down the toilet.

[@emil5851]

Or a reminder what about his current real position?

[@TommoOnYoutube]

James has decided that the payoff is worth it. But damn, I don't know if it is. They must feel confident that the Williams has pace to be on the cusp of the points.

[@harrisd999]

Alex got 96.43% of the points for Williams last year. Logan shouldn't have even been in the car this year

[@grunchlk]

​@@TommoOnKZbinthe Williams is. Logan isn't.

[@DrunkAnton]

@@TommoOnKZbin exactly james must be 90% sure albon will be top 10 , although it would have been nice to know if logan would buckle under the pressure of being forced to deliver would make his 2025 descision easier to make a lot earlier than it will currently be. knowing logan is out ASAP is also beneficial to williams because going out and getting a driver before the market ha settled is also in williams best interest. imagine if Sainz is being stonewalled by every team and Williams Gets him on a short 2+1 meaning if albon breaks his contract they can take a punt on a rookie. its alright though logan pushed the mechanics and factory hard last year they worked till they bled to keep him racing. him helping the team score points will be tough for him to swallow but its something he can probably mentally overcome

[@pavise6333]

This may the first of many "Logan, it's James" moments

[@toto-wolff]

And I am here for it!

[@TommoOnYoutube]

[@LuminalSpoon]

Implying that Logan will be in front of Alex.

[@AWSAM335]

Logan will never have to move aside for Alex because Logan will never be in front of Alex

[@Joserider123]

Same energy as an older sibling breaking their phone and then your parents telling you to give them yours as they need it more than you.

[@TommoOnYoutube]

As an only child, I do not understand this. 😅

[@Joserider123]

@TommoOnKZbin this comparison went over your head 😂😂 people with siblings will understand

[@markojovanovski3372]

As an older sibling i cant imagine this happening in our household

[@richardtickler8555]

​@@markojovanovski3372 would have been the other way round in our household. Oh, you saved money for this? Let your little brother use it. Lil bro broke his? Hell use yours cause hell cry

[@thebateman761]

So we've got a Bearman episode and a Williams episode for S7 so far

[@Shlokiee]

Ricciardo underperforming and comeback 1 to 2 episodes. Alpine farming on track with a tractor atleast 2 episodes.

[@madkent_]

As long as there is not 2 Alpine episodes again.

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Lewis x Ferrari, Christian Horner, etc etc

[@bill4665]

Don't forget a McLaren/mercedes episode to show that huge strategy blunder from both teams in jeddah on their "first" drivers. And the whole "Oscar is better than Lando" and "Hamilton is washed" bs, bcs apparently two races define your careers nowadays 😭

[@bill4665]

@@madkent_ If there's even just one I will be horrified.

[@Emilylauren_05]

I think the bigger news story should be about the unavailability of another chassis… not a good look for Williams regardless of which driver is racing this weekend imo.

[@TommoOnYoutube]

It's a big L for sure. Gives 2019 vibes - you should watch that video from The Race if you haven't already. Really interesting insight.

[@thecompanioncube4211]

In the most chaotic GP of the calendar last year, that’s an huge oversight

[@tokdo4960]

@@TommoOnKZbin Williams is rebuilding their infrastructure due to a huge new primary sponsor with Komatsu. They are completely redoing their supply system and modernizing every aspect of their team. The changes this year will put them above the rest of the midfield. Great video considering that Sargeant would have likely got points this race. I really feel like Vowles' move to stick with sargeant has been the right call since the last few years of rookies struggled before Piastri and Sargeant. Logan's been consistent around 12th-15th and been a solid safe driver which is what they asked of him. Since getting an even car last year at Las Vegas he's been comparable to Albon and gained about 7 tenths since then. If there was 1 more team running rookies, I don't think people would have such strong feelings against Logan. Antonelli and Bearman would have got their shot this year.

[@jamiejarett]

not Logan's fault that Williams is incompetent

[@matthewpotter8491]

Terrible look for them. You’re right. It’s embarrassing. More embarrassing for the team vs the driver if you ask me.

[@OddTomOut]

Netflix is going to have a field day with this one

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Eating good.

[@reecereed8131]

No one watches DTS anymore.

[@MGH82]

​@reecereed8131 They will because of this off-season. Netflix is salivating at all of this.

[@MrUberAnt]

They probably won’t even cover it, like they ignore piastri with his sprint win

[@harth05]

Netflix already calculating how to maximize victimizing america.

[@Versatilty]

I think it makes sense to switch to Albon but i can't think of anything more unfair to Logan

[@bill4665]

It makes sense. But its a team sport. Sargeant earned his drive and did enough to get a second season. Now Vowles is essentially saying: "You may have driven the correct way and not smashed your car up for no reason like Albon did, but we still want him to drive instead of you". Albon brings more chance of points but being honest, from what we've seen so far this weekend, he brings a MUCH higher chance of them leaving not onl with 0 points, but also with 0 chassis' left.

[@TommoOnYoutube]

It makes sense in some ways for sure. It certainly will if Alex can finish in the top 10 this weekend. They'll look like heroes if he does. But if he doesn't, you've hurt Logan's confidence, you've missed an opportunity to evaluate his ability to be relied on, and you've taken a PR hit. Fine balance.

[@Versatilty]

@@TommoOnKZbin just imagine if you will this outcry right now and then assume the idea that Albon DNFs could you imagine the deviation to Logan then?

[@kityhawk2000]

I don't think the risk is worth the reward. If Albon doesn't deliver in the race then it's all for nothing. Also makes it look like there was zero point in keeping Sargeant in 2024 if they have zero confidence in him

[@nathanbutler5605]

You make you're own destiny. If he was good enough to be there on merit they wouldn't be taking his chassis.

[@PH-jv4ik]

They're making the right choice the bigger issue is why keep Logan if you have so little faith in him.

[@DannyA16]

100% Agree

[@toto-wolff]

Lets hope for Kimi next year.

[@davidmaslenka5940]

True

[@utkurhalilov2430]

I don't think Vowels would renew Logan if he had to make that decision again. Logan has done nothing to prove that he deserves to keep his seat in the last 2 races. It's just the same old.

[@Shapershift]

Rewarding the driver who destroyed his car is hardly the right choice.

[@connorappleton1945]

"Logan, it's James, please abort the attempt to particpate in the Australian GP"

[@BigPapiChi]

He’s got a knack for delivering crushing news to drivers. Kink maybe? 😂😂

[@MrRakan220]

This could be catastrophic for BOTH drivers, Logan's confidence is in the toilet, and if Alex crashes again or doesn't score points, HIS confidence will also be shot and will be clowned endlessly.

[@anareel4562]

I already clown Alboff so that's the difference? Guy is an alright driver but he cracks under pressure

[@sergeantsupreme4395]

What is it with F1 fans trying to be psychologists nowadays 💀 how will someone not getting points, in at best the 6th best car, dent their confidence

[@0Synergy]

@@sergeantsupreme4395 Its a new fan thing, arm chair experts and the like.

[@MrRakan220]

@sergeantsupreme4395 oh piss off, these new drivers are always talking about the mental side of driving and how it's the thing that separates the good from "bad" drivers. Albon himself was broken mentally in Red Bull.

[@sergeantsupreme4395]

@MrRakan220 yeah there's a difference between "my confidence is shot because I got outqualified every race for a season by half a second at Red Bull" and "yeah I didn't score points in one race in a WILLIAMS my confidence is in the bin"

[@fdotbiz]

For Alex's sake (and Williams) he'd better bring it home in one piece, remember he did the same last year😮

[@TommoOnYoutube]

I'm nervous ngl

[@infinite_h1767]

Better get a point at the minimum

[@8tonystark8]

Either crash or drive in "Alpine mode" to finish last (but in one piece)

[@saiyerugara9038]

​@infinite_h1767 ...And he better give all his prize money from the weekend to Sargeant.

[@gpaje]

​​@@saiyerugara9038 you realize Sargeant has cost the team 5 million in crashes last year while Albon is responsible for almost all the points, not even close.

[@jas_313]

James has always had this in him, he was the one to remind Bottas that he was undoubtedly 2nd driver on the regular with those endless team orders

[@Umar-gw6fy]

Its what makes him a good team principal

[@xenteko7249]

@@Umar-gw6fy Yup. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this decision. It's objectively the correct thing to do, and the TP handled it well. Williams need every single point they can possibly get, and Albon is vastly more likely to score them than Logan.

[@bonelesswatermelon420]

Hot take: It's not about Logan at all. This is about Alex. James Vowles wants to show Alex that the team will bend over backwards for him so that he'll be convinced to stay with the team beyond 2024.

[@racerx94]

Keep him for what? He's clearly driving over the setup and cars ability and crashed it. Maybe driving that hard to make up for "being fired from Red Bull" moment in his career. He's never gonna be a top driver, he's a good driver but he was at Red Bull already and couldn't cut it and was sent to GT3 for a year. Top drivers don't crash in free practice. Very unfair to take Logan's car when he did not crash his car. Maybe end of the season and you need points i could understand, but 3rd race in is unacceptable.

[@BwInNewJersey]

You think Alex is going to turn down a better ride At Mercedes or RB because of this??

[@xlockedbmw]

Lewis Hamilton binned the car in FP3 in Monaco last year, it happens when you're driving on the limit @@racerx94

[@bonelesswatermelon420]

​@@racerx94Give me a driver that's better than Alex and can be convinced by Williams to stay with their team. That's not a long list and regardless of your opinion on Albon, he's currently the best option they have within the crucial time that they're rebuilding the team. That's why Williams would be begging him to stay.

[@bonelesswatermelon420]

​@@BwInNewJersey Not saying it's a guarantee, but it would be a strong statement. Would any other team decide to give you your teammate's car if you crashed? This is Vowles' weird way of telling Alex that he is their golden boy. He can choose to be a number 2 at a faster team, or he can choose to basically get worshipped by a midfield team. The choice is his.

[@Jordy268]

How the hell do you not have a spare chassis.

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Not very Costcappen of them.

[@iainwalker-brown1536]

Because Logan caused 4.3million in damage in 2023

[@ekafebrianita]

​@iainwalker-brown1536 it's unfair how the low team always the ones who spend the most 😢

[@joehynes2964]

They were still receiving parts for the car from the factory on the first day of testing... It barely made it to the track on day one. They are WAY behind on manufacturing and development (this has all be well documented over the last many weeks).

[@Jordy268]

@@joehynes2964Man thats crazy. I thought those days were behind them.

[@ondrejmachalek319]

i do fear that this might destroy their professional relationship within the team, and also i feel like there is now probably zero chance that Logan continues with Williams next year after this

[@TommoOnYoutube]

I don't know how Logan doesn't come out of this pissed. But then again - Williams seems to be his only shot at an F1 seat long term right now. They hold the cards.

[@ondrejmachalek319]

@@TommoOnKZbin i meant more so from Williams´ point of view, that I think it is highly unlikely they rate him particularly well and will give him a seat next season. but also wonder if this will have an effect on Albon now that he sees how much better he gets treated by the team. btw i hope he wears Logan´s helmet this weekend, i think that would be really cool 😄

[@justinburley8659]

@@ondrejmachalek319 Alex wearing Logan''s helmet would actually be hugely disrespectful.

[@ondrejmachalek319]

@@justinburley8659 how so? I'd see it as more of a tribute or thanks to Logan, assuming him and Alex are friends of course

[@Shogun507]

@@ondrejmachalek319 Considering the context, I think it would appear as "disrespectful" rather than "tribute"

[@hardychandra1]

I am curious about the unavailability of a spare chassis.

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Watch that vid from The Race - it makes more sense after seeing just how tough their winter has been.

[@bethanyoffutt1889]

@@TommoOnKZbin Makes sense but still unacceptable. They need to get their shit together because this is unreal. Andretti probably has more than one chassis available for their F1 car, and their team doesn't even exist. They have ZERO drivers and two cars. Take notes, Williams.

[@isaiahversace1462]

Maybe Logan cost them about 4.3M last season has something to do with it.

[@lukasanthony4067]

Social media if Alex bins it again is gonna be brutal

[@1greenMitsi]

whos old enough to remember drivers hopping in the T car after a shunt?

[@BoyeeSmudger]

Yep! That car was always set up for the number 1 driver.

[@embracedmadness]

Brundle in Melbourne 😂

[@LuminalSpoon]

Spa 1998

[@bighomiechanga9972]

Great way to fill your young driver with confidence. I get that you have to maximise every GP and that’s why they’ve put their best driver in, but if you make a mistake, you should be the one to burden the consequences

[@ehrlichgesagt863]

I mean i crash shouldnt cost you missing a GP. Thats why you push in fp1

[@bighomiechanga9972]

@@ehrlichgesagt863 yes but your teammate shouldn’t be punished for your mistake, if you don’t have a third chassis don’t push the car so far in practice

[@TommoOnYoutube]

I think Williams have missed a good learning opportunity. They could've put all their focus into Logan this weekend, both sides of the garage, and really seen if he has what it takes to take on the baton of that team if Albon leaves.

[@NewscasterNews4]

@@bighomiechanga9972did you have that same energy when Sargeant tore up all their equipment last year costing them millions of dollars which could’ve gone towards a backup chassis?

[@viddykhaos2896]

@@NewscasterNews4most out of all drivers, actually, with Sainz and Perez following behind.

[@DannyA16]

This says to me, why did they re-sign Logan? They clearly don’t trust him to deliver

[@agl10]

Had he performed better in Bahrein and Jeddah, I don't think they would have made that decision.

[@connorappleton1945]

Because I think they finished 7th in the constructors and that gave them a bit of a safety net. Had they finished 9th or 10th I don't think they would have wanted to gamble on Logan for another year

[@einezcrespo2107]

Has he actually delivered?

[@spybreak23]

His uncle gave them bags of cash

[@zounds13]

$30 million.

[@sava-lakicevic]

I agree 100%. I understand they want to maximize their chances to get points, but it's incredibly unfair to Logan.

[@utkurhalilov2430]

Fair? Is there such a thing in Formula 1? Nope.

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Plus they're missing an opportunity to really evaluate him. Is the payoff of a slim chance of points worth it - I don't think it is.

[@quigglyz]

It's unfair to Williams to have Logan finishing 9 hours behind everyone else. Logan needs to go.

[@xenteko7249]

@@TommoOnKZbin They've had enough time to evaluate him. We all have. The evaluation is: He's shit. The only reason he's still in that seat is because they rushed him into F1, and want to make their driver program attractive to others. He doesn't have the talent to compete in F1. He's getting absolutely destroyed by a driver who himself wasn't good enough for a top seat...

[@donicopetersen7542]

He is going to bin it again at the same corner 😂😂😂

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Shut up

[@omgitsjack3829]

Overall I do understand why James chose to put Alex in Logan's car, but it just doesn't sit right with me. As you mentioned it's gonna do a number on Logan's confidence, and I see the potential in him too. Alex doesn't have the best record in Australia, P10 in 2022, but in his other years he didn't finish in the points. I think allowing Logan to continue on would've given him the confidence that his team believes in him

[@NotSamuzed0o0]

Correct. In my opinion, considering Williams needs a real miracle to score points this weekend, the wise thing would have been to just race with Logan and boost his confidence. There's no points for Williams either way so may as well see if Logan can get a bit of confidence from that.

[@JagoBridgland]

“Logan, it’s James” He does have a track record of making these kinda calls tbf

[@maxmustermann6612]

It is the logically right thing to do but morally wrong

[@iainwalker-brown1536]

Not morally wrong. He is very clearly the number 2 driver. Williams have to do what keeps Alex happy or they risk losing him to Merc or Red Bull next year

[@MexicanPoro]

Imagine being Andretti and seeing this lmao. What a mess.

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Damn.

[@danieljoseph255]

👌Great point

[@bethanyoffutt1889]

The crazy thing is I bet Andretti has more than two chassis already for a team that doesn't even exist. Unbelievable. What a horrible look for F1 AND for Williams. It just keeps going.

[@jordwright507]

An F1 team pulling out one car because of a crash in Friday practice?!.. Frank Williams would be turning in his grave!!😔

[@GregAllenF1]

Not likely, Williams has shown no ability to make turns at all.

[@toptanupat]

Tell that to 2019 Pre-season when Frank was still alive.

[@CaptainCooter]

Thursday practice you screw

[@MissMarquise]

@@GregAllenF1 Ooooooh dig at Senna

[@lesliea.428]

I can’t imagine how Sargeant must feel. And it will inevitably cause some friction between both drivers.

[@obud3777]

Spare chassis should be mandatory!

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Cost cap L

[@fbi0529]

That's the result of the cost cap. Flying spare parts over the world is just too expensive for a midfield team. Cost Cap is hopefully gone after this season

[@obud3777]

@@fbi0529 Cost cap doesn’t work in F1, cost cap is for spec series , something F1 should never become!

[@Reaz399]

@@fbi0529This has nothing to do with the cost cap my guy. I assure you that every other team on the grid has a spare chassis at their disposal at the moment if a crash like today would happen to them. It‘s embarrassing for Williams to not have one.

[@fallenshallrise]

Cost cap is literally the same for every team. When one team fails you can't blame the rules, the tires, the cost cap, any of that.

[@disabledrectum]

At the end of the day, they're paying Logan and Alex to do what's best for the team and drive their cars to the best of their abilities. Drivers can easily change seats but employees at the factory and such don't change "seats" that often so doing what's best to get more revenue and maximize the probability of it is the ultimate goal. My 2 cents

[@TommoOnYoutube]

I mean you're not wrong. They're 2 of hundreds of employees literally, and you're right - you wouldn't question moving people around to prioritize performance internally. But, the drivers are the single biggest cogs in that machine. The damage this will likely do to his confidence is one thing - but also this could've been a really good opportunity for Williams to evaluate his progression.

[@Supra_Rankin]

Well Alex is paid Logan pays to be the driver......

[@zounds13]

LOL no, Williams aren't paying Sargeant. It's the other way around.

[@DaniMacYo]

I kinda wanna see both cars out before Sunday. 😈

[@Eldoudino]

Unfair to Logan who's arguably at the most important part of his career having to prove himself, and this could be a big mental blow, hope they compensate him in some way

[@hardhoofdful]

Mate let’s be real he probably shags it into the barriers on lap 30 or he finishes 19th

[@staLkerhu]

With potentially sacking him at season ending? Yep, compensation/10.

[@este.bahn92]

Who gives a shit lol are you guys new to f1? This shit is ruthless. Mental that anyone would suggest Logan get the seat over ANYONE in the grid. He's the worse, come on to reality now.

[@nickklavdianos5136]

Or it can be a wake up call and make him more determined to prove his worth to the team. You know the 'I took it personal' meme from The last dance.

[@nollienick1121]

@@este.bahn92 it’s not ruthless. You got bottass camping a retirement seat. Yuki never fixing himself. Zhou being invisible.

[@alexherman77]

You can tell that this team is run by the guy who made Bottas give up the 2018 Russian GP.

[@insertgenericusernamehere2402]

It's clear who the first driver is. Does it suck yes. But the whole lack of T car rule and 3rd chassis from williams is poor in general.

[@Alexxx0128]

So if Alex scores no points it's an absolute failure of the weekend then yes?

[@salim_abid_]

Not necessarily, Even if he doesn’t score points a P11 or P12 finish still counts in the standings so that can still be considered a plus right?? The weekend is basically already terrible, Points would salvage something and you never know what’s gonna happen in a race, Plenty of drivers have already made mistakes this week so perhaps a few DNF’s from the top 5 teams could really change the dynamic of the race

[@kityhawk2000]

​@salim_abid_ a non points finish only counts if teams behind get equal or less points or lower finishes on countback

[@Alexxx0128]

@@salim_abid_ I get it. This is just my knee-jerk reaction lol I just think it speaks more to the unpreparedness of Williams and I feel bad that Logan is getting the short end of the stick because he deserves every chance to prove himself to either retain his seat or maybe have one somewhere else within the F1 grid. Hopefully

[@airwave6610]

100% clanger team

[@TommoOnYoutube]

The ONLY way this is a net positive is if he scores points. Even a P11 or P12 - that's not enough. The damage this has done to Logan's confidence, the PR hit, and the missed opportunity to give him the reigns and see how he does. That's tough.

[@selder_7]

It’s brutal but they have to do it. I am very disappointed in Albon though, he lost a lot of points crashing there last year and to crash there again and cost the team again is not a good look. I hope this sparks something in Sargent going forward

[@barney8980]

"Logan it's James,... "

[@patricktrakzel9657]

"Alex is faster than you"

[@DwarfLivingInTheMines]

Thank you for making this video Tommo 🙏

[@OldToothbrush0210]

We have reached the peak of "It's James"

[@Jacakao_o]

I mean, it is unfair to Logan to suffer for something that’s not his fault, however it is a team sport as well and honestly, even if Alex crashes again, the probability that Logan would’ve gotten any points is quite low

[@bethanyoffutt1889]

If Alex crashes again, what are the odds they have a car to field at all for the next race?

[@TheLuthorri]

Everyone knows that if Logie-bear was the one to crash, he wouldn't have gotten Alex's chassis.

[@barba9rupen2apex]

Tommo quick as always with the updates🎉

[@gpaje]

Considering Albon is responsible for almost all of Williams points, and all the money that brings in, while Sargeant was responsible for almost 5 million in chassis being ridden off of last year, how is this even a conversation?

[@theoriginalrabbithole]

If Albon bins this car as well? OH BOY...Whatta sh!tshow that's gonna be! 🤣

[@user-sk8wq4mv1w]

Never clicked on a video so quick

[@TommoOnYoutube]

🏃🏃🏃

[@elmurcis1]

From one side you totally understand (it is pure bussiness and having one pilot with higher chance to "scratch" that critical P10 is logical choice). From other - been penalized for others mistakes hurts deeper when have experienced that in past in some form.

[@bethanyoffutt1889]

Except Alex has a higher chance of "scratching" (i.e. crashing) here. Williams didn't have ONE spare chassis. I can't imagine they'd come up with two by the next race. If he crashes again, who's to say they'd be able to field even one car next race? And if money is that tight, they can't afford crashes like that anyway. Points=money, but crashes also=money. I don't really see where they're coming from on this one. Any other circuit, yeah maybe. Not this early in the season, but later I guess. But here? Albon isn't nearly as safe a bet as people are saying.

[@DarthTrethon]

I mean, logan finished 21st out of 20 last year and has not yet shown significant improvement this year. Is it harsh, yes, but that's how competitive sports work. Logan should probably not even be in F1 this year imo. And Logan needs this harsh wake-up call too, imo because he needs to do a lot better than he's been doing so hopefully this leads him to picking up the pace a bit and doing better.

[@MrBuurh]

What would be bitter sweet is if Alex bins it again & Williams cant compete at all 😂

[@bethanyoffutt1889]

Just sweet

[@patricktrakzel9657]

[@Formula4Dopemine]

Poor lad got shafted pretty hard on this one. It’s understandable but at the same time he’s not been too far off from Alex this season. They owe him one now, that’s how I’d be looking at it if I were Logan.

[@Shogun507]

Williams needs to answer a few questions. 1. Why are they even keeping a driver like Sargeant when they don't even trust him in situations like this? 2. Why is a spare Chassis missing?

[@sergeykuznetsov8291]

Sergeant is lucky to have that seat this year. If he was more promising last season, Williams may not have made this decision. Tough luck, but there are drivers who didn't get a second chance like him.

[@Ikcatcher]

Albon crashing again will be the funniest thing ever

[@simonkevnorris]

I liken it to Alonso destroying his chassis and getting Lance's car - it just makes sense to maximize the team's chances of scoring points.

[@dislexyc]

100% this

[@taylorclarke5373]

The funny thing is people still would’ve criticised them for not swapping, and lot of people were pleading for the swap when it was still a rumour

[@Anklepick125]

This is so frustrating you mentioned the pressure it puts on Alex. But realistically it puts more pressure on Logan. Although the last couple races haven't been great for Logan, they haven't been bad and from last year, that is enough to start building momemtum and allow Logan to really show his true talent. I can't help but feel like this throws a wrench into that momentum.

[@generaldreagonlps6889]

Sargeant just should’ve been better to avoid this. Right now Williams had to choose between a small shot at points or finishing last.

[@TommoOnYoutube]

You're right that Logan ultimately fell foul of a decision made based on performance merit. Just not on moral merit.

[@generaldreagonlps6889]

@@TommoOnKZbin Yeah, in an ideal world he should've been the one driving this weekend. But unfortunately the reality of F1 these days makes this kind of decision mandatory for a team like Williams.

[@cryptic_rush6959]

Whats going on with tommo lately? My man is supporting Zhou and Sargeant? We all know that they are´nt good drivers so why keep them in the sport?

[@fqeagles21]

I agreee with you

[@vasekkosar3931]

Huh? What an idiotic statement, honestly... He wants them to do well. How is that bad?

[@cryptic_rush6959]

@@vasekkosar3931 fangirl

[@fqeagles21]

@@vasekkosar3931 they are below the level required in F1 that's why

[@jamarij5814]

@@fqeagles21Nah Zhou is actually a pretty decent driver. Sauber just have a shit car and team honestly. Logan was brought to F1 a year earlier. 2024 would’ve been his actual first year here. In terms of race pace Logan isn’t as far from Alex as people think he is.

[@pnw_jordan]

If Sargent is angry, he needs to be angry with himself. You can’t be a half second down on your teammate and expect to not be a sacrificial lamb. Merc would have done this to Bottas, who was consistently within 2 tenths. Red Bull would do it to Checo, who is consistently within 2 tenths. Heck, Ferrari would probably do it to Sainz, who is consistently within a tenth and often outperforms his teammate.

[@Barfyman362.]

It's funny seeing the amounts of incompetency from teams right after Andretti is told they bring no value.

[@bethanyoffutt1889]

Maybe Williams should ask Andretti for a spare chassis. Fucking clowns.

[@sploda9886]

Albon crashed the car, Albon should not race. This is incredibly unfair for Logan.

[@sasdadsful]

Logan managed to score less points last year than Lawson who drove for two races. Alex scored 27 points last year vs 1 point scored by Logan. It is unfair that this guy is still in F1 after last season.

[@GregAllenF1]

@@sasdadsfulAlbon is bad in Australia though. Plus, why cause a Maher driver crises for the rest of the year over 1 GP weekend. Unless Williams is just planning on replacing Logan like next week.

[@iainwalker-brown1536]

Logan won the destructors championship last year. Probably the reason they can't afford to bring a spare chassis

[@GregAllenF1]

@@iainwalker-brown1536 There is no reason for not having a third. Yet Andretti isn’t allowed in when they would never have this issue. Pathetic F1 again

[@jasonhenry9440]

​@@GregAllenF1Albon is not bad in Australia💀, he qualified well here last year and was running in a good position until he made that mistake. Shit he even scored Williams first point in 2022 in Australia 😂😂

[@rafaiah333]

Is it fair? No. Is it the correct decision? Yes. Australia can be a points grabbing opportunity for Williams, and Albon is the better driver for that chance.

[@eddiegonzalez638]

This is why I can’t get behind F1 a lot of the times. You trash your car, you lose your car for the weekend, you don’t race, simple as that. Williams doesn’t come prepare to have a spare. That’s on team officials not on Logan. Why award Alex for his complete F UP and penalized Logan. Especially when he was showing some pace so far in practice. The bias in F1 of teams supporting one driver over his teammate is crap. This is a perfect place to really evaluate Logan as a driver, when he is a solo driver and the team’s back is up against the wall for the weekend.

[@PopeJoeFitz]

I can fully understand Williams' decision to put Alex in the car, they as a team want the highest probability of scoring points and that is clearly the thought process they went through for this choice. But I don't think Logan should sacrificed for that when he didn't make the mistake that put them in this position. They could've sent Logan out there in a "Prove it" moment for him, but now the public perception is that the team have no faith in Sargent. TLDR: Right choice for the team, but unfair on Logan

[@daveoverwijn8582]

It is a logical change as a team you go for the driver with the biggest chance of getting a good result. Sargent will probably not be racing in F1 next year, he is just not good enough and will be replaced by antonelli

[@ZYCKCOBZZ]

Williams only have themselves to blame for this! We are now a month into the new season, starting race 3 and Williams’s only have 2 chassis!?.. that’s shocking! Red bull and Mercedes have at least three chassis ready by race 1 of the season. I know Williams are going through massive change right now but not having at least one spare chassis to go racing is a fundamental failure! Vowels will have to take serious repercussions for this.

[@chuckg8638]

I understand why Williams would want to make this switch, but to be honest I'm a little disappointed in Alex. Of all the drivers on the grid, I would have expected him to step up and say "No, I shunted the car, this was my mistake, don't penalize Logan for that. I'll come back next race and make up for it, but this is Logan's weekend to shine now."

[@thelouisjohnson]

Well… a team decision is a team decision. It’s not show friends, it’s show business. Both Alex and Williams owe Logan, but we’ll have to see whether they end up repaying the favour. In terms of points, is this any different than swapping the drivers during a race for P10?

[@feelsweirdman8923]

I think it’s significantly difference to tell a driver they aren’t even being given the chance to race rather than having them give up a position to a teammate bc their performance in the race wasn’t enough. It’s a vote of no confidence that definitely destroys morale

[@connorappleton1945]

Imagine if Sainz was unable to compete again this weekend and Logan got the call up to race for Ferrari

[@Spankyy811]

Ferrari would be better off with withdrawing carlos car from the race then lol.

[@MattBorchert]

It's a tough call. If you're strictly placing the bet on which driver is more likely to score points, it's Alex by a million miles. So the "right" move is clear if all you care about is points. But, Alex is also the one who crashed his car and made Williams a 1 car team this week. While the lack of a spare car falls 100% on Williams, I think the most sporting thing to do is to let Logan keep the drive. He didn't smash the car. I agree with your points about this potentially crushing Logan's confidence. Beyond that, he needs the seat time to continue to grow. F1 is a ruthless sport though, and drivers can be paid millions for their time racing. I doubt Logan is on a very lucrative contract, but still, that's the price of being at the very top. I don't think either decision is a clear cut win for Williams. Their failure by not having a third car will cause cascading issues moving forward.

[@michaeldr6070]

I wouldn’t have swapped them either. It’s basically saying to Logan that u don’t trust him to deliver.

[@Lewythefly]

The absolute disrespect to take Logan's car from under him when he did nothing wrong. Might as well get rid of Logan now if they have such low confidence in his ability to do anywhere near as good as Alex. PS this happened in FP1 also, not like it was qualy and Alex needed to push to the limit. Bad decision

[@iainwalker-brown1536]

He Caused 4.3million in damage in 2023. Probably a large reason they couldn't afford to bring a spare tub

[@Lewythefly]

@@iainwalker-brown1536 its a new season so that's not an excuse, they decided to keep him this year so they need to support him.

[@Lightbluecloud1]

Logicaly a very sound decision, emotionaly a very bitter one for Logan

[@ItsEnOh]

Yeah that’s bullshit, If I’m Logan I’m pissed. And what if Alex crashes again😂

[@jkliao6486]

I think it only makes sense from team's perspective on face level. It's the second straight year Alex has binned it here. What about his confidence? Now he is in the I can't bin it any more situation, and I don't think that's gonna help him getting a potential point finish this season with 5 teams significantly faster than the rest. If anything, he probably holds back a little bit.

[@Yodsyo]

This is a vote of no confidence for Logan. There's no way he staying on another year after this fiasco. And with you wearing a dodgers cap I bet it's been a wild 24 hours 😅

[@mrbungle3310]

Im here for James's downfall...he really told the team not to bring an extra chassis because of cost cap priorities...crazy from a racing team...they aren't racers

[@andrewstevens3771]

Amazed by the amount of soul-searching going on about this. Poor from Williams to not have a 3rd chassis but Albon is the obvious choice if Williams are a serious team trying to get points. Sargent is lucky to still be in a seat, and I thought at the start of the season that he (more than any other F1 driver) is most at risk of being replaced mid-season.

[@bobdole4432]

Logan has had a solid weekend so far, and pace wise has been close to Albon every weekend this season, and the last part of last season. Admittedly his qualifying is awful. But I don’t see how sitting him when he did nothing wrong is right or will help build the team.

[@gavinpeake7034]

I believed that Williams had the most supportive young driver program and they seem to take good care of their own. I thought this would be more valuable as a test / show of confidence for Sargent than the possibility of a single point so early in the season.

[@bigswisschh]

I get the business decision, but sometimes you got to care for the team....if Alex crashes, hes out. What if he crashes in the race? (Logan isnt off to a great start himself, but was looking good in Fp1 and 2...I cant imagine Logans confidence right now.

[@patricktrakzel9657]

Every bit of confidence he had is ripped away. Kinda stupid move. Also worrying they don't have a 3rd chassis.

[@wonder-pdl]

Yes, it’s unacceptable that there isn’t an extra chassis. Alex crashed this year in practice AND last year in the same place during the race. Logan deserves to drive the car. The fact that Alex crashed means he should have to deal with the consequences, and Logan hasn’t been looking bad this weekend by any stretch either. Poor guy.

[@wonder-pdl]

Being willing to make this choice does speak to Logan’s character though as he’s willing to play the game for the team’s benefit. He’s treating this like a true professional and that deserves to be commended

[@yuxiang2806]

Flashback.. "Logan, it's James here. Give up you seat to Alex!"

[@lydiamiller6170]

the amount of times people in the sport have said that confidence is everything in a driver to taking away a car from one and giving it to another is insane to me this early in the season. how does this not just absolutely kill logan’s confidence for the rest of the season in himself and his own team.

[@alicekoppenol-pitti6257]

How careful is Alex gonna drive now. A spare chassis was not on the spreadsheet apparently. Vowles does it again: " Logan... it's James, let Alex have your car "

[@0Synergy]

It could have been on the spreadsheet maybe they just couldn't find it.

[@captainformula9628]

I think Vowles has done really cool things with the team since he came on board. But his rather robotic nature of "I make decisions based purely on data." perhaps doesn't take into account human psychology or sociology. The ramifications of this decision aren't as easy to quantify as a sector time. The hopes of securing a spare point in the Australian GP may well damage the teams ability to be on top of their game in the coming races, whereas giving their faith in Logan now would likely put more of a fire in him than he's had since coming on board with Williams. A guy who worries so much about how many milligrams of caffeine he puts in his body in a day may not be the best at managing human beings.

[@oleraatgerink9198]

I reckon they did this to bring attention to the cost cap situation where Williams has expressed before that they find it unfair because their team is so far behind facilities wise. Making this statement brings attention to this problem and might lead to this being addressed

[@abdaf8706]

I agree, it doesn't seem fair😢

[@praeliator]

Imagine RB doing this to Yuki. There would be blood in the paddock.

[@dislexyc]

Yuki and Riccardo have about the same pace, it would be stupid to do that. This absolutely makes sense. Lance is a bit of an idiot, and I want him to do well, but if Alonso crashed I'd give him Lance's car in a blink of an eye

[@praeliator]

@@dislexyc I was thinking more about the difference in personality. I really think that even if theres an Albon-Logan sized gap between Ricardo and Yuki, if RB did this there would be more fireworks.

[@raelized]

let's just say Valterri wasn't surprised by that decision.

[@Kwik63]

It is all about the lap data. Who was rocking in the lap times and consistency

[@antonysnook4932]

There is a idea in fans heads that team mates have identical cars. I am of the idea that any developments will go to Albon as he will make better use of them. Logan may like a part on the car over Alex. Alain Prost got upset at McLaren because Honda sent engines for Senna to run on his car and not for him. So Senna had a deal to get better engine's or a technical advantage because Senna was the superstar of the team.

[@luccass6793]

In the end I do agree with Vowles, the only reason it was ever an option is the 0,4-0,5s gap that still exists between them

[@glenrobinson10]

If I'm Mercedes looking at that, why on earth would I want to put Kimi in that second seat next year now? That's the long-term damage, not the short-term gain of a possible point in Australia.

[@iainwalker-brown1536]

Because Mercedes have no other option than to put them in their own car. Williams are looking after their number 1 driver who could very well be poached by Merc or red bull

[@glenrobinson10]

@@iainwalker-brown1536 If you genuinely believe either of those teams are looking at Albon, you're delusional.

[@bethanyoffutt1889]

No shot they put him in a Williams, rookies are floundering in the bad cars and shining in the good cars (shocking). They'll put him straight in a Merc.

[@gusmaomarcos]

This is bringing back Schumacher-Barrichello in Austria vibes... Just Brutal.

[@tracerseven7564]

With both Alex taking Logans chassis and Williams not having a spare chassis makes me think the plan all along for Williams this year was to focus on managing a 1 driver team for points, Logan is just filling an essentially cosmetic role. Perhaps its conspiratorial but this also seemed to happen really fast and like you said, seems like a preplanned contigency plan.

[@markmaison4436]

If I’m Vowels I make the same decision, it’s the safer bet. As a fan, I wonder if the added pressure of being the only representative of the team would light a fire in Sergeant, push him to that next level.

[@bethanyoffutt1889]

Safe how? Alex can't keep the car out of the wall here. If Williams can't afford no points or a spare chassis, they certainly can't afford another crash.

[@markmaison4436]

@@bethanyoffutt1889 historically, Albon is more likely to score points, and statistically less likely crash, and the fact that in 2 consecutive years Albon has crashed at the same corner doesn’t change that, nor does it mean he will do it again. Either choice you are making a gamble, and maybe you feel like Sergeant deserves the chance, which is a legitimate viewpoint, but Albon is more likely to score you points.

[@Vyckinas]

Is it unfair 100% yes, but I would do the same. Sargent did not show (at least for me) why team would trust him to score points (only 1 point in `23 vs Alex 27points). Trust and confidence within a team must be earned by the driver it his job, and Sargent did not do it. Even knowing that Alex has 50% chance to DNF this race I would still put him in a car rather than Sargent. I know it is brutal but F1 is brutal when it comes to drivers expected performance, and as a rookie Sargant is not the worst but faaaar from a good one.

[@scottrobinson4611]

This is such a tough one. If this scenario happened at the end of the season and there's a close battle for 7th or 8th, I don't think we'd be questioning this decision as much. Points matter more than anything else for a team like Williams, and Alex has a better chance at scoring points - even with the confidence hit after a crash. This does send a message about Logan that isn't good, but that's less important than the opportunity to maximise a result.

[@TommoOnYoutube]

Good point - it's harder to see the justification because we're so close to the start of the season. But 1 point now, is the same value as 1 point in Abu Dhabi. I just feel like there's been a missed opportunity here to give Logan the responsibility, and be like "right, prove we can rely on you."

[@scottrobinson4611]

@@TommoOnKZbin You're totally right, this reflects very poorly on the team's belief in Logan, to the point that they're not willing to give him this opportunity to prove himself. I hope this fuels the fire in Logan later in the season. Now we just hope Alex scores a point or two so this decision seems justified.

[@bethanyoffutt1889]

No, money matters more than anything else to a team like Williams. Points=money, but crashes also=money. And Alex crashes here. Plus if he crashes again, what are the odds that Williams can put together not one but TWO new chassis by the next race? Three guesses as to who has to sit out again if they can't get two more by next race.

[@jakeunderwood9]

If you're thinking in terms of development of the team; then points are more important than Logan's confidence. Also, I think we're neglecting what this does for Albon's confidence. He's already been obviously more consistent with Williams and I think this helps cement him in that #1 spot for Williams. Not that it was ever in doubt, but the reassurance surely helps with Albon's mindset. So maybe Logan walks out of this weekend feeling hurt and down and maybe he sulks for the rest of his time at Williams. But realistically he hasn't shown the ability or consistency to regularly earn points yet. So reassuring Albon is really the better move for scoring points this year.