Photo: Williams Racing
Alex Albon was over the moon today securing P8 for the Williams team in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix in Albert Park.
A year ago Williams were in a very different situation. Admittedly Albon says they were the 10th fastest team then. On that day Albon scored a point in P10 after a mammoth 57 lap ‘opening stint’ to nurse his tyres. One might say his task is somewhat easier tomorrow?
Speaking after the qualifying session Albon shared his delight how the team can now properly fight for positions.
“It’s a proper fight now,” Albon said. “We’ve got the pace in the car, it’s only a couple tenths to the top ten, that is what we had in mind coming into this weekend and then actually we overtook those two-tenths and added a couple of tenths on top and that’s why we’re P8.”
Albon also says how these results can help the team dynamic and create a positive working environment on which to strive and improve even more.
“So the motivation when you know that there’s a chance for this every weekend, it’s exciting. I live for that, the team live for that as well. There’s a great energy within the team to see if we can keep this up and apply the pressure with the upgrades we’ve got and let’s see. But for now, we’ll take the victory, the mini-victory… it’s a victory for us.”
Dave Robson, Head of Vehicle Performance was full of praise for his London born Thai driver.
“Alex had an excellent qualifying session today. He was able to keep out of traffic and prepare his tyres well and consistently. As a result, each lap he did was strong, and he was able to build his confidence and finish the session in a good position.”
Robson admits how tight the midfield is and how the tiniest details can make a big difference in results.
“Once again, the sessions were tight with several teams completing similar lap times. This was good for Alex as he was able to just beat Gasly and Hulkenburg to take a very promising P8 on the grid.”
