Albon’s near-miss and Colapinto’s retirement cap a challenging finale for Williams at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Alex Albon came close to finishing in the points at Abu Dhabi, running as high as ninth and later in tenth position.
However, Oscar Piastri’s late charge denied the Williams driver the final point.
“With ten laps to go, I thought it would be tough to hold on. The tire grip remained relatively strong, but the temperatures dropped,” said Albon.
“Once the track started cooling, I couldn’t drive fast enough to maintain tire temperature, so I felt like I was doing qualifying laps from around lap 25 to the finish, which made the race very physical. It’s a shame not to reward the team by finishing in the points.”
At the finish, Albon offered his initial assessment of the 2024 season.
“My view of the season is that we missed opportunities. It’s easy to focus on the end of the season and the incidents, but in reality, we started with an overweight car when we should have been fighting for points,” he explained.
“We had a major upgrade, as our plan was always to focus on the future, and at that point, many teams naturally overtook us. In the end, I’m not too disappointed because I’m here for the long term, and I know that as a team, we’re not aiming to be the best of the midfield. We are now working to ensure the future allows us to fight for wins and championships, and I believe in the journey we’ve embarked on.”
“Thank you to Franco for being an excellent teammate. He earned his place in F1 during the last few races, and I’m sure I’ll see him back on the grid soon.”
Franco Colapinto, meanwhile, did not see the finish of the race.
“Retiring with the car wasn’t how I wanted to end the final race of the season. I got a good start and was focused on finishing the race, but Piastri made contact with me, which caused a puncture and damage. We still had good pace after changing tires, but unfortunately, we had to retire the car due to a suspected engine issue,” he said.
“The last two races have been really unlucky for me. It’s not the end to the season I wanted, but that’s part of Formula 1. It’s still a dream come true, though I obviously wish I could have finished the way we started. I’ve worked toward racing in F1 since I was very young, and I’m extremely grateful to everyone at Williams for giving me the chance to drive the car over these last nine races.”
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Colapinto’s Season Ends Early with Suspected Engine Failure Colapinto’s Season Ends Early with Suspected Engine Failure
