Nico Rosberg has bemoaned what Williams driver Logan Sargeant said about Pierre Gasly of Alpine during Sprint Qualifying at the 2024 Formula 1 Chinese GP on Friday.
The Shanghai International Circuit has welcomed the travelling circus of F1 back for the first time since 2019 this week. But Williams and Alpine will face a frustrating Sprint on Saturday after both teams saw their two drivers respectively bow out of the qualifying session in SQ1.
Visa Cash App RB driver Yuki Tsunoda joined the Grove and Enstone outfit’s racers in bowing out in SQ1. The 23-year-old will even join Sargeant on the back row of the grid for the Sprint at the Chinese GP. Gasly qualified in P16, ahead of Esteban Ocon (P17) and Alex Albon (P18).
Nico Rosberg did not buy Logan Sargeant’s claim Pierre Gasly impeded him in SQ1
Gasly missed out on a spot in SQ2 by only 0.088 seconds to home hero Zhou Guanyu as the Sauber star finally enjoys his first Chinese GP weekend. Ocon followed his Alpine teammate home by a margin of 0.088s, as well. While Sargeant lapped 0.291s slower than Gasly’s run.
Sargeant could only manage a 1:37.923 in his Williams to post the slowest SQ1 time. Gasly set a 1:37.632 to narrowly miss out on a place in SQ2. But the Frenchman also left Sargeant irate midway through SQ1 when the Williams racer felt Gasly impeded him exiting Turn 13.
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Sargeant simply vented over Williams’ radio, ‘Mate, Gasly impeded me’, after the Alpine star dawdled on the racing line out of T13. The 28-year-old’s position forced the American to run slightly off the racing line out of the fast right-hander. But Rosberg was not buying the claim.
“No, he didn’t,” Rosberg bemoaned on Sky Sports F1 (19/04, 08:38). “Oh, come on. I mean, seriously? Sure, yeah, it’s worth a try because you’re fighting with him directly to get out of the drop zone. But, no, come on! That was fine.”
Williams can take a positive from Logan Sargeant’s Sprint Qualifying at the Chinese GP
While Williams suffered a double exit in SQ1, the Grove squad can take a slim positive out of Sargeant’s display in Sprint Qualifying at the 2024 Chinese GP. The American was just 0.111s slower than Albon in the first stage, with the London-born Thai achieving a 1:37.812 for P18.
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Williams need Sargeant to run close to Albon at a bare minimum if the American is to merit a contract for 2025. The 23-year-old has finished behind his 28-year-old teammate in every qualifying this year. He has also finished behind Albon in every race they have both finished.
Sargeant was also 0.373s slower than Albon in qualifying for the Bahrain GP, 0.419s down in qualifying for the Saudi Arabian GP and 0.176s slower during qualifying for the Japanese GP. Williams further withdrew Sargeant to give Albon his chassis for the Australian GP weekend.
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