For the first time since 2021, Williams F1 notches ten points, surpassing Alpine in the standings at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Williams F1 Secures Ten Points at Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Best Team Result Since 2021
For the first time since the Hungarian and Belgian Grand Prix in 2021, Williams F1 has tallied ten points, elevating the team above Alpine in the championship standings. Alex Albon clinched seventh place and expressed satisfaction with a performance that advances Williams ahead of Alpine.
“I’m absolutely delighted; we’ve scored significant points, particularly crucial in the mid-field battle where even a tenth place is valuable as the leading teams score every weekend. We’ve overtaken Alpine, and we aim to stay ahead following a very solid weekend,” said Albon, who had anticipated more drivers opting for hard tyres at the start.
“It was interesting, we thought more drivers would choose it because last year, several pitted in the final lap. To be honest, what worked against us was competing with the top teams. They would rejoin around us, overtake, and we lost a great deal of time due to the aerodynamic disturbances,” he added.
Franco Colapinto also impressed with an eighth-place finish, explaining early race struggles managing his tyres: “It was challenging. I started on the mediums and the rear tyres were overheating due to high track temperatures.”
“I had to manage a great deal, I was struggling. I wasn’t quick enough to make a move on the out lap but I was able to maintain pace thereafter; the team asked me to manage as I had many laps to cover, being one of the first to stop,” he said.
And conserving his tyres impacted the temperature at the front, causing a loss of grip: “My front tyres collapsed because I had to manage them, and I lost front grip.”
“I managed to handle them and I could push when I was caught up, and the front end came alive at that moment. I continued to push, the tyres were in the right window and the pace returned, which allowed me to be fast and finish the race strongly.”
When asked whether race management is the most challenging aspect of F1, the first Argentine to score points in 42 years believes his lack of experience was costly: “I don’t know if it’s the hardest. Everyone knows how to manage tyres, how to keep them alive, what the hard, medium, and soft compounds do, and I had no idea. It’s a matter of experience.”
“I lost the long runs in FP1 due to my accident and it cost me today, but we tried to leave all that behind with my engineers. But having only raced once in F1 and just a few consecutive laps here, it was hard to understand how the compounds work. The pace was very good at the end of the race.”
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Albon – Colapinto Drive Williams to Top Finish in Baku Albon – Colapinto Drive Williams to Top Finish in Baku
