Williams left the Spanish Formula 1 GP in Madrid with a harsh diagnosis, as they lacked the pace to keep up with the midfield pack. Alex Albon finished 15th, while Carlos Sainz retired after floor damage caused by contact on the first lap.
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Albon assessed that the result represented the maximum the team could achieve under the current conditions. The Brit managed to surpass the two Aston Martin cars and one of the Haas cars, but highlighted that Williams is still far from an effective fight with the rest of the pack.
“Surpassing the two Aston Martin cars and one of the Haas was realistically the maximum we could achieve, so that was our goal for the day,” said Albon. The driver also revealed that the team will bring an update to Baku, although he does not expect a complete change of scenario, as the development focus has also started to include next year.
James Vowles reinforced the assessment and acknowledged that Williams did not have enough speed during the weekend: “It was a very complicated day, we have no pace here this weekend,” said the team principal, adding that a small evolution will be introduced in Baku, but the final stretch of the year will continue to be difficult.
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Sainz, in turn, had his race ended after a strong start. The Spaniard gained positions at the start but had contact with Yuki Tsunoda of Racing Bulls at turn 1. The floor damage caused a large loss of aerodynamic downforce and made it impossible to keep the car on track.
“It was a disappointing way to finish the first race here, but in the end, scoring points would always have been very difficult for us,” admitted Sainz. The Spanish driver also highlighted the support received from fans throughout the weekend and assessed that the circuit needs improvements to provide more overtaking opportunities.
Vowles and Albon also pointed out the rapid evolution of the pack as one of Williams’ challenges. According to Albon, the midfield teams brought more updates than usual this season, accelerating the development battle and increasing the need for reaction from the British team.
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