British Grand Prix Qualifying: Williams Faces Challenges
Silverstone, UK – Williams Racing endured a challenging qualifying session for the British Grand Prix, with drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz eliminated in Q2. This outcome prompted Albon to call for an internal review of the team’s strategy during the session, citing specific incidents that compromised their performance.
The Grove-based team had already been grappling with reliability issues, having experienced a double DNF at the previous race in Austria. Albon noted, "We wasted a set of tyres when Franco [Colapinto] crashed, and then went out just before a red flag was imminent. It was a significant miscalculation."
Both drivers highlighted the impact of tire management on their qualifying results. Albon explained that they opted to use a set of worn tires for their first Q2 run and encountered issues in their second run due to timing. "We got out too early, not ready for when Max [Verstappen] slowed down. It made a difference," he added, concluding that finishing P14 was "frustrating."
Sainz echoed Albon’s sentiments, observing that the midfield pack had tightened. "We found ourselves in a time gap from P9 to P14, which is crucial during Q2. It feels like the others have improved too much for us to consistently breach Q3," Sainz stated. He mentioned their weekend focus on setup experimentation to address reliability concerns, suggesting that this limited their readiness for qualifying.
Despite their struggles, both drivers will gain one place on the grid due to Oliver Bearman’s 10-place penalty, with Sainz set to start 11th and Albon 14th.
Key Takeaways:
- Williams Racing faces scrutiny after a disappointing qualifying session at the British GP.
- Mismanagement during qualifying leads to strategic errors.
- Both drivers acknowledge increased competition from other teams in the midfield.
- Sainz and Albon will advance one position on the grid due to Bearman’s penalty.
