Logan Sargeant's turbulent 2024 campaign faced further difficulties in Japan.
The American driver, who is seizing his last opportunity to make an impression at Williams this year, was forced to miss Melbourne after being removed from his car due to Alex Albon's severe crash during practice.
The team at Grove successfully mended Albon's significantly damaged chassis, albeit the repair added extra weight, which was then transferred to Sargeant for the Suzuka race.
"But the repair went better than expected," he acknowledged, "and there's no need to worry. Alex's chassis is a little heavier than mine, but it's only 100 grams - that's almost nothing."
Faced with the challenge of driving cautiously in Japan due to the absence of a third chassis until Miami, Sargeant was also aware that any mishap from himself or even Albon could potentially result in losing his car once more.
"Alex and I both have to get through this," the 23-year-old stated. "On the other hand, we can't afford to be careful in this midfield. That won't get you far in Formula 1. We have to be confident enough to give it our all on the track and hope that nothing goes wrong."
However, during the initial practice at Suzuka, Sargeant heavily crashed the patched-up chassis.
Upon the car's return to the pits, Williams confirmed: "There is extensive damage to the front suspension as well as the gearbox, however, the chassis looks okay."
James Vowles, the team principal, labeled the damage as "serious."
Auto Motor und Sport revealed: "Unfortunately, there is no replacement for the new front and rear wings."
