Alex Albon's Australian GP Crash: What Happened?

What caused Alex Albon's Australian Grand Prix crash?

Alex Albon was unable to finish the Australian Grand Prix, having to retire from the race on Lap 8. The British-Thai driver had a promising start to the race, qualifying in eighth place and making up two positions before oversteering and colliding with the race wall, causing his retirement. Fortunately, Albon walked away from the accident unscathed.

Albon's Post-Race Reflection

After the race, Albon reflected on what went wrong, stating that there was nothing unusual in the corner itself. He believes that he lost control of the car when he went wide on the previous corner, causing a spike in tyre temperatures and resulting in a lack of grip on the following corner. 

Albon expressed disappointment, as he felt that he had a great car and was looking forward to scoring points for the team. He explained:

"We’re still looking at the data but there was nothing unusual in the corner itself. When I lost the car, I was going through slower than the previous lap; I went wide on the corner before and spiked the tyre temperatures, losing grip and going into the next corner a bit hot, so I think that’s what happened but we need to look at it.

"With all the accidents, it was a good chance to score points this weekend, so I’m very sorry to the team. I’m disappointed, as we had a great car today and were really strong."

Insight from Williams Team

Dave Robson, Williams' head of vehicle performance, provided further insight into the crash. He described the race as a missed opportunity, as Albon was on track for a comfortable top ten finish. 

However, touching the kerb at high speed in Turn 5 caused a small snap and an increase in tyre temperature, which led to the loss of control at the following corner. Robson explained:

"It was a remarkable race but ultimately it was a missed opportunity for us.

Alex built on his excellent qualifying display to make more positions at the start and was looking good for a comfortable top ten finish.

"Unfortunately, touching the kerb at high speed in Turn 5 led to a small snap and a spike in tyre temperature, which led him to lose the car at the next corner."

James Vowles, Williams' team principal, also commented on the incident. He explained that Albon went through turn five slower than he had on the previous lap and lifted ever so slightly before running out wide. 

As a result, the rear left tyre oscillated on the kerb on exit, causing a lack of grip on the following corner, which ultimately ended his race. Vowles stated that there was nothing Albon could have done to correct the situation.

What happened in the build-up to Alex's crash in Aus? JV explains all 🗣️

Watch the full Vowles Verdict below 👇#WeAreWilliams #AusGP 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/DB54Dae6iC

— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) April 6, 2023

"He went through turn five then into turn six slower than he had on the previous lap and yet the rear came round immediately and he lost control of the car.

"There's nothing he could have done to correct that.

"He went through [turn five] and actually realised it was a little bit too much speed for that corner and had to lift ever so slightly, but he ran out wide.

"And when he ran out wide that rear left tyre was now actually just oscillating on the kerb on exit.

"As he turned into turn six, he just simply did not have the rear grip that he was expecting to have previously.

"And that's what ended his race."