Logan Sargeant’s rookie season has been an expensive affair for Williams, with the American’s total crash damage from this year so far having been revealed.
The American has struggled to adjust the demands of Formula 1 after stepping up from Formula 2, with him costing the team significant money in repairs at virtually every Grand Prix.
Last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix was no different, where Sargeant had a big shunt at the final corner, whilst trying to complete his opening hot lap in Q1.
Sargeant appeared to get on the power too early as he exited the penultimate corner, resulting in his car snapping on him.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
When he attempted to correct the snap, his FW45 darted off into the gravel where it smashed into the barrier.
The TV directors quickly showed live images of Williams’ mechanics, who all looked distraught at the damage.
The Grove-based team were forced to work long into the night, with the team having actually been penalised by the FIA for making so many changes to Sargeant’s chassis.
His car was a complete wreck and not for the first time this year.
Team principal James Vowles admitted after the crash that the side will need to build “more spare parts” before the end of the season instead of trying to introduce new items.
“We’ve had more attrition than was expected, it’s fair to say,” Vowles told Sky Sports F1.
“We have enough to deal with this accident today. But it will mean we’ll have to divert attention away from other items while producing more spare parts before we get to the end of the year.”
According to RacingNews365, Sargeant is on a salary of £820,000 for his rookie campaign, whilst his crashes have reportedly cost Williams an estimated £3.2 million.
READ: Bernie Ecclestone brutally snubs George Russell for 22-year-old driver
This is according to data collected by Reddit user u/basspro24chevy, with the total crash damage being almost four times the driver’s salary but not quite.
With him still in need of a contract for 2024, Sargeant desperately requires a good result in the remaining six races or potentially risk being dropped after just a season in F1.
Williams do seem to be keen on giving the young driver more time, but will likely be reluctant to do so should he continue to cost them so much money in repairs.