Alexander Albon says Williams is pleased to have gone in front of Alpine after F1 Azerbaijan GP double points, as he and Franco Colapinto reflect on the grand prix.
Williams stormed into the Top 10 in qualifying of F1 Azerbaijan GP where Colapinto managed to beat Albon after a freak incident involving the Thai racer. The team then split strategy where the former started on the medium tyre, while the latter on the hard.
The goal was to beat Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso just ahead of them. Despite the strategy difference, neither of the two could beat the Spaniard. Albon reckoned the time loss in extending his first stint on the hard tyre made the difference in the end.
But he was pleased that Williams could still score to beat Alpine and get in front of them in the standings. “I think we are in front of Alpine now which was the target at the end of the year…I think the thing we were talking about how difficult P9 and P10 looks like, to get a P7 and P8, it is luxurious,” said Albon to media.
“We take that and it shows that we have made great progress with the upgrades, again it is another points finish, it is another weekend where we have been positively quick, I think very similar to the Aston Martin in terms of pace. Lets see in Singapore but for Azerbaijan, its been very strong.
“Having two cars in Q3, we tried to split strategies and try to out fox the Aston, unfortunately, it didn’t work but it is great to have such option. I could say, we did a different strategy to pretty much, majority of the grid, I don’t think it was a quick strategy in the end, the reason for that was the amount of time we loss with the top teams in the mid-race fight when I was getting overtaken by everyone, Charles and Checo I think.
“And it was 6-7s of race time, that would have put us quite easily in front of Fernando, on our race pace. But that was actually…we were almost too quick, we thought that we would come out in front of us and I would have carried on in my own race but we came out behind, it was great in some ways.
“When I came out of the pits, I could see Fernando was about 2s up in front of me, I realised that. I don’t know what my pace was just before I pitted. My tyres just came alive, literally the lap before I pitted, which was almost a shame because what could have I done. To be able to fight McLaren, it was great,” summed up Albon.
While the Thai racer lost time in the first stint, his teammate Colapinto lost time due to graining and being in-decisive about when to save and when to push. He struggled on the hard tyres, but eventually he was pleased to score his first points in F1.
The incident ahead allowed Albon to be seventh, with Colapinto in eighth. “It was very satisfying, I found it very tough especially the hard part of the race, I was really struggling with the tyres,” said the Argentine. “I managed to do well in the first stint on the medium tyres, but it was very hot and the medium were suffering a lot. But we did a great job on that first stint.
“Definitely our pit stop, but the hard tyres were completely out of window, I was managing a lot, the rears. I thought that I had to manage a lot, I was also not sure how much I had to manage, how much to push and I think it is part of experience, how to be very close to Alonso but I don’t know how much the tyres will last with so many laps to go, I was like if it is right to attack him now or leave it till the end.
“So, yeah, I kpt doing lot of management, whatever the team was asking me to do. When we were close to Aston, we stopped the management and after Hulkenberg passed me, I started to push, and suddenly the front tyres woke up again. My fronts were completely old then since the first few laps, my front was fully grained and I had no grip, and then suddenly, they woke up and switched on and then I started to do well with a lot of grip.
“That’s why I finished the race so strong and I was doing pretty good lap times, keep Lewis behind and making a gap. It was a very strong end to the race, in the middle part of the race, I didn’t really understand what was happening with the tyres but now I have experience, the management part, you can push on those tyres and that is something I need to keep learning and understanding how different the medium is to the hard but it was a great race and I am very proud to score points.
“Overall, we did a great job with the team. We moved up Williams in the championship and I’m very happy with the result. It’s a great result for the team. Both cars in the points, P8 in the constructors’ championship, both cars in the top eight. It’s something unexpected and amazing for the team, for Williams, they really deserve it. So yeah, just very happy for what we achieved together, and we need to keep working on the future.”
Having scored the four points, Colapinto already scored more than what Logan Sargeant managed all the while in his stay. The Argentine reiterated the trust that James Vowles put in him and hopes that it can help him secure a F1 drive in future.
“They showed so much confidence and trust in putting me in a seat,” said Colapinto. “It was a very difficult bet, and a bet that many people didn’t understand. But I hope to be showing what I’m capable of and that I deserve a seat in Formula 1. The idea and the opportunity that James gave me are helping me to show that.
“I am just doing a lot of work to try to learn quick. I have very little mileage in a Formula 1 car, it’s only two races and one Free Practice 1 and a few laps in Abu Dhabi last year. But I think with the little mileage I’ve got, to be in the points in my second race is something really positive and very good. So, we have to keep going, but it’s a good start.”
Here’s Lando Norris on getting stuck behind Alexander Albon
Here’s how F1 Azerbaijan GP panned out
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