Williams has taken the harsh step of not including Logan Sargeant in the Melbourne race roster.
In an incident on Friday, Alex Albon, the driver clearly prioritized by the team led by James Vowles, endured a significant crash, resulting in severe damage to the car's chassis, known as the 'tub'.
Facing production setbacks, Williams nearly missed having a single chassis ready for the pre-season tests just a month earlier. Currently, the team lacks a backup chassis, and it's unlikely one will be available for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix.
"It was a conscious decision to get the most out of the car," Vowles disclosed. "We knew we would pay for it in the event of a major accident."
"When we weighed up the risks, we factored that sacrifice in."
The burden of this decision falls on American racer Sargeant, who, after a challenging debut season, is now amidst speculations that Williams is considering replacing him in 2025 with Toto Wolff-endorsed newcomer Kimi Antonelli.
"This is the hardest moment I can remember in my career," a 23-year-old Sargeant confessed, as he was sidelined in Australia due to his teammate's error.
Vowles expressed regret over the tough call.
"It's unacceptable in modern day F1 not to have a spare chassis, but it is a reflection of how behind we were in the winter period and an illustration of why we need to go through significant change in order to get ourselves in a better position for the future," he commented.
"We have made the call based on our best potential to score points this weekend."
On Saturday, Vowles assured that Albon's damaged chassis would be repaired in time for the Suzuka race in two weeks.
"We have some updates and other parts planned, but I now have to use all manpower to repair the chassis," he mentioned. "We will certainly have two chassis in Japan, but I don't think there will be enough time to produce a third because we now have our hands full making the repairs."
