F1 News: Alex Albon Reveals Why Williams Is Struggling Ahead Of British Grand Prix

Alex Harrington | Jul 6, 2024

Nov 15, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez of Mexico speaks with Williams Racing driver Alexander Albon of Thailand during media availabilities at Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

In a season fraught with challenges, Williams Racing's Alex Albon has attributed the team's struggles primarily to the rapid and aggressive upgrades by their midfield rivals, which has seen them falling behind in the competitive pecking order. Troubles started in the winter with delays in design and production, substantially impacting the performance of the FW46 car, which was notably overweight during the initial races of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

Despite these setbacks, Albon managed to highlight Williams' season with a top-ten qualifying performance and a ninth-place finish at the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix—the team's sole point finish thus far. However, subsequent races such as the Grand Prix in Canada, which showed promise, ended in disappointment due to a collision with Carlos Sainz.

Reflecting on the downturn post-Montreal, Albon shared his mixed expectations for the upcoming British Grand Prix.

"I think Red Bull Ring was more disappointing and further away than we expected. And so Silverstone comes in and we’re a little bit… We would normally come into this weekend a bit more positive. But I think there’s just a bit of a question mark on purely where we are going to be this weekend," he remarked, voicing his uncertainties.

Discussing the development pace within the team, the young Thai-British driver pointed out that understanding track-specific performances has become complex due to the constantly evolving capabilities of rival teams.

"I think obviously when you look at last year, it was a very strong weekend for us and it’s still in the process of understanding what tracks are going well for us now. But it’s partly down to the midfield upgrading so aggressively."

Albon's teammate, Logan Sargeant, added his perspective.

"It’s closer on paper to a track like Barcelona than say, Canada. It’s a tricky one... But that doesn’t mean this weekend can’t be better."

On the operational front, Williams' Sporting Director, Sven Smeets, highlighted some positive developments.

"Alex changed the set-up of the car quite significantly between FP1 and FP2 and this had a positive effect on the performance of the car, especially on the long runs," Smeets stated, although he admitted ongoing balance issues with the car on low fuel.

The ongoing need for adjustments and strategic reviews is evident, with Smeets acknowledging the unpredictable weather conditions as a critical factor for the upcoming qualifying.

"We will be working hard tonight to find some extra performance for tomorrow. The weather forecast is changing nearly every hour so there is everything to play for in qualifying.”