Albon's Q3 Hopes Dashed by Unforeseen Team Error

Franco Colapinto’s impressive ninth-place finish at Baku shows his growing confidence, while Alex Albon’s Q3 performance was hindered by a rare but costly team mistake.

Franco Colapinto achieved a remarkable feat in Baku by reaching Q3 and securing ninth place in just his second weekend with Williams F1. The Argentine driver became the first from his country to qualify in the top 10 since Carlos Reutemann. Reflecting on his performance, Colapinto believes he could have done even better with a flawless weekend.

“It was a strong comeback after FP2 and the work we had done with the team. I think the team is pleased too, as I delivered on every lap. Something was slightly off with the car in the final lap, particularly at the rear right, where I was sliding and came close to the barriers,” Colapinto explained.

“But overall, it was a good session. We were on pace when it mattered, and making it into Q3 was the primary goal. I’m feeling more confident each time, and I’m comfortable within the team. Everything is going well, and we’re making the progress we hoped for.”

Despite a disrupted preparation due to an earlier accident, Colapinto remains optimistic about the race ahead: “At Monza, I had a strong pace. I couldn’t do long stints because of the crash, but if we can prepare the race properly with the engineers, things could go well.”

Albon Holds No Grudge Against His Team

Alex Albon also made it into Q3, marking the first time since the Las Vegas GP last year that Williams has placed both cars in the top 10. However, a bizarre incident, where his car was sent out with a cooling fan still attached, cost him his final lap and might lead to a penalty.

“These things happen. Everyone is trying their best, and we made a mistake because we were rushing to get out and catch the slipstream. I’m sure the team will feel bad about it, but it’s one of those things,” said Albon.

“I’d rather it happen in Q3 than in Q1 or Q2, where it could have ruined our chances of a good qualifying position. Realistically, we might have lost one or two places at most. But we’re in the right group, starting in the top 10, and I’ll have to wait to see if everything was legal.”

When asked about his race prospects, the Thai driver expressed confidence: “My race pace was strong, and the tyre degradation on my car was manageable, so I’m optimistic. I hope I can hold onto my tenth place.”