Alex Albon reaches SQ3 for Williams, while Carlos Sainz battles balance issues in a challenging Sprint Qualifying at the Chinese GP.
It was a promising Sprint Qualifying session for Williams at the Chinese Grand Prix, with Alex Albon securing a spot in SQ3 and finishing ninth. Still, the Thai driver isn’t fully satisfied and believes there’s room for improvement heading into the rest of the weekend.
“I’m reasonably happy, but we’ve definitely got some work to do on the car,” Albon admitted. “This track isn’t playing to our strengths at the moment, so we’ll need to make a few adjustments. Tire management is tricky here – they’re really sensitive.”
“The long corners in Shanghai put a lot of stress on the tires. It’s hard to get them into the right window, and at times it feels like we’re over-managing them. We’ll put our heads together tonight and aim to come back stronger tomorrow.”
Sainz off the pace, still searching for comfort
Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, had a tougher day. He qualified 13th and struggled to find rhythm in his Ferrari-powered FW47.
“I was fighting the balance all day – both sessions were pretty tough,” Sainz said. “In Sprint Quali, we had a few issues, including something odd with the seat that we need to look into. But overall, I’m just not feeling comfortable in the car.”
“There’s still a lot for me to learn and understand, and I know that with more track time, it’ll start to click. The goal now is to pull everything together and bounce back for Sunday.”
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Albon shines, Sainz struggles in tricky Shanghai run
Albon shines, Sainz struggles in tricky Shanghai run
