Logan Sargeant’s hopes of a strong qualifying performance in the Dutch Grand Prix were thrown into doubt on Saturday after a dramatic crash during practice. The American driver, piloting his Williams, lost control of his car while navigating a wet corner. With one wheel on the grassy edge, Sargeant’s car veered sharply to the left, spinning him into a metal barrier with significant force.
Flames quickly erupted from the rear of the heavily damaged Williams, while smoke billowed from the air intake. Fortunately, Sargeant managed to escape the burning car unscathed. The practice session was immediately red-flagged, allowing marshals to extinguish the fire and remove the wreckage from the track.
This incident marks the latest in a string of crashes for Sargeant, who has struggled for consistency in his debut F1 season. He previously crashed at the Canadian Grand Prix in June and collided with Kevin Magnussen in Miami in May. A similar mishap also occurred during practice for the Japanese Grand Prix in April.
The severity of the damage to Sargeant’s car raises concerns about his ability to participate in qualifying later on Saturday. If he is unable to take part, he will likely miss out on a chance to start the race from a competitive position. With qualifying looming and the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday, the focus now shifts to assessing the extent of the damage to both Sargeant and his car.