I find it hard to believe that Formula 1 could find a way to have a worse start to the year than they are right now from a PR perspective. The entire Christian Horner misconduct situation is a massive black eye for Red Bull in their best-ever stretch as a team. The collective sport throwing everything and the kitchen sink at the Andretti's to keep them out of the sport still is genuinely embarrassing. And oh, by the way, we're working on about year 15 of these races, you know, the centerpiece of the alleged "pinnacle of motorsport," being uncompetitive formalities more akin to local small-town parades.
But just when you thought it couldn't get worse, or quite frankly funnier in this case, they've outdone themselves again, Specifically Williams Racing. On Friday Morning in the U.S., Alex Albon had a notable crash in the Australian Gran Prix's opening practice session, effectively totaling the car. You would think this would be no big issue for a Formula 1 team, but this wouldn't be a story if that were the case. Not only did Williams only bring two (2) cars down under, but they officially sat Logan Sargeant down for the weekend, leaving Albon as their only guy on the grid.
Muppet Show
As someone with zero attachment to Williams or either driver in this situation, I think this whole fiasco is objectively hysterical. Over the last year, the collective sport of Formula 1 went so far out of its way to keep Michael Andretti out of the country club. Now one of the country club's oldest members, Williams, a staple in F1 throughout the 1980s and 90s, now looks like the biggest clown show in the game.
How even the least valuable team in the sport, last year valued at $725,000,000 by Forbes, can show up to race weekend without a SINGLE BACKUP CAR is beyond pathetic. Not only that but to sit out the guy who was able to keep it straight in practice is insane. Team principal James Vowles claimed that the decision to bench Sargeant for Albon was based on giving the team the best chance to score points (finish top 10). While that's probably the case, are we going to sit here and lie through our teeth and act like Albon, a 13th-place guy on average with Williams in 45 races, is a sure thing, and he'll score anything more than two points, best case scenario?
Speaking Volumes
Now, let's move on to Sargeant, who is objectively getting the rawest end of the deal in all of this. Being the guy to do nothing wrong in all of this and now having to suffer because you drive for a clown show operation objectively sucks and will lead to confidence issues for as long as he still drives there, I guarantee it.
Vowles effectively benching Sargeant for Albon tells me everything I need to know about how Williams feels about him internally; they don't think he's good. While I would agree with that sentiment (Sargeant is largely, not entirely, but largely in the position he's in because of his Grandfather's fortune in the Military Contracting and Oil industries, and that's a fact), to give up on him this quick when guys coming into the sport in similar spots like Nikitka Mazepin and Nick Latiffi got significantly more leeway and were probably worse feels unfair. But in short, this is a brutal situation for Sargeant, but I would be lying to you if I said that wasn't tremendous content to consume from afar.
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