Williams Racing left the F1 Australian GP with both optimism and lessons to learn, as the team showcased competitive pace but faced challenges that kept them from fully capitalizing on their potential. Alex Albon finished P5, while Carlos Sainz had a crash and DNF under the safety car. Team Principal James Vowles shared his insights following the race, highlighting both the strengths of the team and areas for improvement.
Carlos Sainz’s early exit
The weekend proved to be a “complicated event,” but Williams positioned itself well relative to its competitors. At one point, there was clear potential for both cars to score points.
However, Carlos Sainz’s race was disrupted by what Vowles described as a “tiny, tiny issue and mistake,” leading to his early retirement as he crashed in the final turn with the Safety Car deployed. The team is still reviewing the factors that contributed to the incident, particularly how car settings respond under safety car conditions.
Vowles details what happened to Sainz
“He held a fairly constant throttle position, actually a tiny bit lower, a percent or two lower, and pulled for an upshift into third gear. So, it’s a part throttle upshift.
“When he did so, and what happens inside those conditions is, A, we’re in a different mode.It’s a safety car mode. That runs the systems in a very different way to if we’re in flat out. And B, what happens is, obviously, as you imagine, we have a disengagement of power and torque, and then a re-engagement of power and torque. Now, there was a tiny bit more than would have been expected.
“I think, for me, it was accumulation of conditions.
“First and foremost, I think what we have to review is how and what we’re doing with those settings in that safety car mode in wet conditions.
“I don’t think we were optimal, and that’s on us as a team. The second is that it was treacherous out there. I really can’t state that enough.
“When you’re going slowly, your tyre temperatures are being lost. Any small amount of additional grip loss will be accentuated, and I think that’s what we had there.
“We’re still ongoing in terms of reviewing, because clearly we need to make sure that we’re improving in every single area and providing a car to the drivers that’s predictable and consistent.”
Sainz helping out Williams in the race
Despite the setback, Vowles emphasized that Sainz remained fully engaged, even stepping up to support the team from the pit wall. “No one was down after, including Carlos,” Vowles noted. “He was helping on the pit wall, which is very important to the team.”
“And what Carlos was doing was trying to provide as much information as possible, be that about where he is in car performance, the conditions, what was coming in on the weather radar.
“And his insight was fantastic. It was useful. It was clear.”
Sainz himself admitted that being on the pit wall was more nerve-wracking than being in the car, but his insights were valuable in helping Alex Albon maximize his race.
Alex Albon in P5
Albon’s strong drive to fifth place was a testament to the team’s growing strength, not just the misfortune of others. Vowles pointed out that P5 was not simply due to failure of others, but genuine competitiveness of the Williams, reinforcing the team’s belief that they had the pace to compete at the front of the midfield.
The camaraderie and resilience within Williams Racing have been crucial in their progress.
“This isn’t about any one individual. It’s not about me, it’s not about Carlos, it’s not about Alex. It’s about us, as Williams, pulling together and becoming stronger year on year,” Vowles affirmed.
The emotional reaction from the crew to the result reflected the determination of a team that has been through significant challenges in recent years.
Vowles looking forward
Looking ahead, Williams is confident that its strong package will translate well at the upcoming races, including this week’s Chinese Grand Prix. The team also benefits from having two drivers who are not only talented behind the wheel but also strong analytically.
“We have two drivers that are matched in terms of their capability, their performance, their ability to perform under pressure,” Vowles said. “Both of our drivers are world-class material.”
With momentum on their side and a solid foundation to build upon, Williams Racing is ready to push forward and continue proving its resurgence on the F1 grid.
