Williams confirms chassis change for Russell after 'unacceptable' incident

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Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams confirmed that the drain cover incident suffered by George Russell at the start of FP1 had inflicted serious damage to the Brit's FW42.

A replay of the incident showed that Ferrari's Charles Leclerc had barely missed the manhole cover but Russell raced over it at high speed, permanently dislodging the heavy cover which then slammed into the Williams' underside.

First free practice in Baku abandoned after manhole drama!

Needless to say, the unfortunate - and avoidable - disaster won't help Williams' already problematic state of affairs.

"I haven’t had a chat with George yet, he looks alright from what I can see," Williams told the BBC immediately after the incident.

"I think there’s inevitably going to be quite a lot of damage.

"You can see from the TV that’s just taken the whole underside out. That is not helpful for us at the moment."

A visibly unhappy Williams said she would take up the matter with race control.

"The circuit needs to make sure that their drain covers are bolted down properly," she added.

"That’s just not acceptable. The damage that that can do could put us out this afternoon.

"We have another chassis that we might need to bring in. And that’s not what Formula 1 tracks should be."

Indeed, after a through damage assessment, the Williams team confirmed a chassis change for Russell would be necessary.

"George’s car will require a chassis change due to the damage caused by the loose drain cover," said the team.

"Therefore due to regulations he will not be able to run until FP3 tomorrow."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.