An FP1 crash for Alex Albon damaged his chassis beyond immediate repair. With Williams not having built up a spare tub, the team has opted to sacrifice Sargeant to enter Albon in the race.
Team principal James Vowles concedes the decision to bench the American is “one of the hardest” he has had to make in the job but acknowledges that the tight competitive order has steered Williams to ‘put its money’ on the driver who is more likely to score points.
