Sargeant made the bold choice to stick with slick tires amid early wet conditions of the race, weathering the challenges but at the expense of a lot of lost time.
When the track finally dried up, he was bringing up the rear and lost control of his car upon making contact with the inside kerb at the eighth turn during the 15th lap.
This mishap took place just a day after the American rookie experienced another nasty crash on a drying track, shortly after making it to Q3 for the first time in his fledgling F1 career.
In the moments following the crash, Sargeant expressed uncertainty about the failure at the car’s front, telling his team, “I’m in the dark here, guys. Something malfunctioned at the front right when I clipped the kerb.”
Vowles shed light on the incident, confirming it was triggered by a hydraulic failure impacting the vehicle’s steering.
“After going through all the data, it’s still early, but what’s clear is this,” he said during an interview with F1 Flow.com. “Sargeant had been engaging with that particular apex kerb repeatedly throughout the race. In fact, we could identify three or four instances of this prior to the accident, including practice runs on Friday.
“This specific kerb interaction produces a significant load spike, and the result is a sudden loss of all hydraulic pressure. Losing hydraulic pressure in an F1 car is essentially losing your steering and other functionalities. So, it’s safe to say Sargeant was caught unaware in the blink of an eye.”
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes F1 W14 was seen tussling with Logan Sargeant in his Williams FW45, with Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas VF-23 following suit.
Photo by: Andy Hone / F1 Flow Images
Sargeant later conceded that he was overly cautious during the wet stages of the race due to the previous day’s crash.
“I treaded on eggshells for the first 15 laps because of yesterday’s mishap,” he stated. “That made me lose significant tire temperature in the wet conditions, causing me to fall further behind. Just when I was finding my groove on the drying track, I hit the apex kerb at Turn 8, causing a hydraulic and power steering failure. This pretty much sealed my fate. I slid into the damp areas of the track, making recovery impossible.”
On using the kerb, he elaborated, “I’ve been hitting that kerb all weekend, and it wasn’t like I was attacking it with reckless abandon. So, it’s baffling as to why this happened now.”
Sargeant also revealed his wish for an alternative strategy in the wet initial stages of the race.
“Given yesterday’s misfortune, it would’ve been comforting to switch to intermediate tires for that extra push,” he mused. “But sadly, it seems the outcome was predestined.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Logan Sargeant F1 Dutch GP Crash
What triggered Logan Sargeant’s crash at the F1 Dutch GP?
Sargeant’s crash was triggered by a hydraulic failure linked to hitting an apex kerb.
How did Sargeant’s previous performance influence his race strategy?
After crashing in a drying track a day prior, Sargeant adopted a cautious approach during the initial wet stages.
Did Sargeant explain the cause of the crash immediately?
Sargeant initially believed something had gone wrong at the car’s front, citing a failure upon hitting the kerb.
What role did the apex kerb play in the crash?
The apex kerb at Turn 8 caused a load spike, resulting in a hydraulic pressure loss when hit, impacting steering.
Was Sargeant familiar with the apex kerb?
Sargeant had been using the apex kerb consistently throughout the weekend, without issues until the crash.
Did Sargeant express any preference for his race strategy?
Sargeant wished for the option to switch to intermediate tires during the wet stages to gain more confidence for a push.
More about Logan Sargeant F1 Dutch GP Crash
- F1 Flow.com
- [Logan Sargeant’s Crash Video](video link)
- [F1 Dutch GP Race Highlights](video link)
- [Sargeant’s Q3 Achievement](news link)
1 comment
whoa, that’s a crazy ride Logan Sargeant had! Crashin’ one day, cautious the next, and then bam, hydraulic probs from a sneaky kerb. F1 be full of surprises, man!