Alex Albon was the victim of an unfortunate incident in Canada, as a spin from Carlos Sainz ahead forced him into the wall. For a driver and team desperate for points, the Canadian GP was a golden opportunity. Understandably, Albon was a frustrated figure after his race came to a premature end.
Last weekend saw Albon claim another Q3 appearance in the Williams FW46. The British outfit brought another set of updates to Montreal in the form of lighter components. Considering the team’s extreme weight deficit at the start of 2024, eliminating any excess kilos will guarantee a faster car.
On race day, wet conditions put drivers and teams on the edge. Avoiding mistakes was the key to success at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
In this regard, Albon was doing everything right. He avoided the mistakes that saw teammate Logan Sargeant crash out in the earlier stages of the race. Meanwhile, the Williams pit wall executed a sensible strategy.
Albon frustrated after Canada misfortune
Whilst running in 11th, all this hard work was undone. The Thai driver gave his analysis on an unfortunate afternoon in Canada:
“A disappointing end to our race today. Points were definitely on the table, and the car felt good on all compounds in the changing conditions.
“We didn’t take any unnecessary risks and the race plan was well-executed by the team. It was a battle of survival, which was always going to be the case considering the weather, and we ended up getting caught in other people’s errors.
“That’s racing, and I don’t think I could’ve done anything differently.”
To make things worse for Albon, his incident with Sainz was directly beneficial to rival teams. Alpine were the main beneficiaries, finishing 9th and 10th and overtaking Williams in the constructors.
Although Albon has generally been faster than both Alpine drivers this year, hectic races like last weekend’s offer opportunities. In this case, fortune was not on his side.
James Vowles’ team must regroup for the upcoming Spanish GP. Provided they can continue introducing upgrades, they should be capable of fighting for points more regularly.
The Barcelona circuit was a difficult venue for Williams last season. However, with a new car and philosophy, they should fare better this time around.
