Williams driver Logan Sargeant has pinpointed the moment scoring points was "killed" for the team during the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Sargeant managed to get into Q3 for the second time in his F1 career in qualifying, starting from sixth on the grid, and was hopeful of a strong performance, given Williams' straight-line speed on the Strip.
The American was running in the points in the opening stages of the race, but a Safety Car for debris after a collision between Max Verstappen and George Russell came laps after most in the field had committed to their first stops.
However, Williams had already hauled Sargeant in six laps prior to the race, with others around him then handed fresher tyres, which he believed was the beginning of the end for the team's hopes of points.
Sargeant's story was a similar one to Charles Leclerc and Ferrari, with the Safety Car coming out five laps after the Monegasque had pitted, with the team taking the decision not to pit him, while Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen both did.
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Sargeant: There was not a lot we did wrong
"I don't think we did a lot wrong, to be honest. I think that that second Safety Car, right in the middle of our Hard [tyre stint] honestly killed our strategy," Sargeant told media, including RacingNews365.
"Could we have tried to come in and put a new Medium? Possibly. I don't think it would have made a huge difference."
This effectively ruined their chances of staying inside the top ten, with Sargeant dropping down to 16th and team-mate Alex Albon 12th.
"We're sitting P12, quicker than a few cars ahead, had Alex just up the road, I think there was potential on the table," said Sargeant.
"Once everyone was able to box for a new set under the safety car and we didn't, it really was just the end."
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