With Albon’s original car being damaged beyond repair following a crash in opening practice at Albert Park, and Williams having no spare chassis on hand, the team had to withdraw one of its entries.
But rather than it leaving Albon on the sidelines, it took the controversial choice to give him Sargeant’s car instead – forcing the American out for the remainder of the weekend.
While Vowles said that the call was one of the “hardest decisions” he has had to make at the team, he has explained that the move was justified because of the super tight battle in the lower half of the constructors’ championship.
With points likely to be hard for the bottom five teams to score this year, Vowles said that Williams could not afford to let its highest-scoring driver sit things out, especially at a track where the team thinks it has a good opportunity to show well.
Speaking in a video posted on social media, Vowles said: “The midfield is so incredibly tight that a point or two or more may make the difference at the end of the season between being 10th or being 6th. The spread of our cars at the moment is milliseconds.
“And as much as it pains me to see a driver that through no fault of their own won't be racing on Sunday, I have to prioritise the team above all else.
“Logan has been tremendous. He's here to support the team in this regard. He's clearly very much hurting as a result of this decision but equally strong in as much as he knows the team above all else is the priority.”
Source: Autosport