Alexander Albon, the Thai driver for Williams Racing, expressed his disappointment at missing out on scoring points in the Australian Grand Prix of Formula 1. The team found themselves in a difficult position due to severe tire graining, leaving them stranded in an unfavorable position. Albon was the only Williams driver competing, as his crash during the first practice session and the unavailability of a spare chassis forced his teammate, Logan Sargeant, to withdraw. Despite the fact that three drivers from the top five teams failed to finish the race, Albon could only manage an 11th place finish, once again failing to secure points for the team. In contrast, Haas took advantage of the retirements ahead and secured a double points finish, with Yuki Tsunoda finishing seventh and giving his team, RB, a positive start to the season. When asked about his feelings regarding his position just outside the top 10 in Melbourne, Albon expressed his frustration, particularly as their rivals were able to capitalize on the situation. He emphasized the importance of seizing opportunities when they arise and acknowledged that Williams did not have the desired pace on the track during the challenging weekend.
The 28-year-old also believes that his team must determine the cause of the excessive tire wear that greatly impacted the car’s performance during the race, leaving him in a difficult position.
Albon explained that his only opportunity to keep up with the cars ahead was by sacrificing his own tires, which was made worse by an unfavorable setup.
“I believe that making an early pit stop was simply masking our lack of speed,” he stated.
We were attempting to stay competitive by pitting early and regaining track position, but ultimately, the pace of the other cars was too strong.
“Every time I tried to match the speed of the cars around me, I would fall behind.
“Because of this, we had to configure the car with an imbalanced setup. We were adding a significant amount of front grip to prevent the front tires from sliding.
“At a certain point, the balance becomes extremely poor. You’re sliding on the rear tires, but the front tires are still wearing down. It’s a rather uncomfortable situation.”
Albon believed that with more extensive long-run simulations during his limited practice sessions, he could have minimized tire wear to a greater extent.
When asked about Carlos Sainz’s victory two weeks after undergoing surgery, Albon, who also dealt with appendicitis in 2022, revealed that he had communicated extensively with the Spaniard.
“I was in his garage on Thursday, offering him advice on how to make the seat more comfortable. It’s been an impressive effort,” he praised.
“People often forget that not only are you recovering from surgery, but you also can’t train properly for a couple of weeks. So your fitness levels suffer.
“I can assure you that he wasn’t comfortable in the car. The first few laps, when I look back on it, felt strange.
“You can feel everything moving inside, and it’s not a pleasant sensation. I’m not sure the human body is designed to withstand the 5-6G forces with something loose inside.”