Vowles: Sargent didn’t quite realize where the grass was

Logan Sargent crashed his car during the first free practice of the Japanese Grand Prix and ended up on the grass at the exit of turn seven. The Williams driver’s car suffered significant damage and he missed the second practice session.

Team principal James Vowles explained Sargent’s departure by saying that Logan did not fully understand his car’s location on the track and could not see the grass.

James Vowles: “At the top of the climb, Logan struggled to see exactly where his car was on the track. Apparently he wasn’t entirely aware of where the car was and where the grass was at the exit of the bend. And he hit the grass with his wheel.

Vowles added that he does not link Sargent’s departure with the fact that the American driver could have lost confidence due to the fact that the team handed over his car to his teammate on the final stage in Melbourne and Logan had to start the race himself to miss. phase.

“I have been in contact with him over the last few weeks,” continues James Vowles. “I had to be in constant contact with him because he was in a very difficult situation through no fault of his own. But he was in a good mood all week and when I talked to him last night he wanted to get back in the car and continue working, but not to prove to the world that he deserves his place, but just to do his job .

What we saw today was not a mistake because the driver attacked on the limit. It was a very different kind of mistake, nevertheless very disappointing, but due to the fact that he simply did not know where exactly the car was on the track, and his expectations did not coincide with the actual position of the car on the track.

So I don’t think we saw a reaction to him missing Melbourne. Instead, we saw a situation that could happen at any time.”