A significant mishap disrupted the scheduled training sessions in Formula One.
The third practice run for the Formula 1 event in Zandvoort was disrupted by a major incident involving driver Logan Sargeant from the United States. His Williams vehicle skidded off-track following the first chicane, hit the barriers, and sparked a fire. Fortunately, initial reports suggested that Sargeant emerged from the crash unhurt. However, the cleanup process consumed a substantial amount of time, rendering the session's results irrelevant. The session, which was scheduled to run for an hour, was only restarted after a 44-minute interruption.
Sargeant lost control of his vehicle after veering onto the wet grass following the initial chicane. The car collided with the barriers head-on and burst into flames. Sargeant promptly signaled the all-clear to the pits and safely exited the vehicle. Due to the severe damage, it appears doubtful that Sargeant will be able to participate in qualifying. Whether he will compete on Sunday is yet to be determined. Sargeant's performances at Williams have been under scrutiny, given his poor track record.
Only ten drivers, including Sargeant, were on the track prior to the significant crash. The session resumed at 12:28, with the remaining drivers trying to complete at least one lap in the remaining two minutes. Pierre Gasly from France (driving for Alpine) set the fastest lap in 1:20.311 minutes. Kevin Magnussen from Denmark (driving for Haas) and Valtteri Bottas from Finland (driving for Sauber) followed, a lineup that would be unprecedented in a typical session.
Max Verstappen, the world champion from the Netherlands (representing Red Bull), received a warning for exceeding the speed limit at the exit of the pit lane. He ended up in 17th place. Instead of boosting confidence for qualifying, Verstappen expressed frustration. Prior to the session, he had expressed dissatisfaction with his car's speed, criticizing Red Bull for being slow yet again.
Sargeant's Formula 1 career suffered a setback due to the incident, potentially affecting his participation in the race on Sunday. After the session resumed, Pierre Gasly from France set the fastest time in Formula 1, with Kevin Magnussen and Valtteri Bottas also performing well.
