Alex Albon identifies his best chance to banish ‘painful’ Williams memories

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Alex Albon and Williams have largely been unable to replicate their great results from 2023 this year, but he sees one race as their best chance to banish ‘painful’ memories.

The 28-year-old and Grove crew proved to be the surprise package on the grid last year as Williams enjoyed their best campaign since 2017. But after moving into seventh place in F1’s constructors’ championship with 28 points, results this year have Williams in eighth with 16.

While Alpine have also regressed after scoring 100 points through 18 rounds last year to get 13 this season, Haas have improved from 12 points to 31 and Visa Cash App RB have scored 34 after taking 10 last term. Williams got 26 points across the first 18 of 22 rounds last term.

Alex Albon picks the Sao Paulo GP as Williams’ best chance for points

Albon scored 27 of Williams’ 28 points last season thanks to some fantastic drivers as Logan Sargeant struggled as a rookie. His races in Montreal and at Monza were particularly strong, as Albon held off faster cars to award Williams P7 finishes in the Canadian GP and Italian GP.

This year’s Azerbaijan GP saw Albon score Williams’ best result of 2024 so far with P7 after three earlier P9 finishes. The first of those P9s came at the Monaco GP, where Albon thinks Williams had struggled in recent years but they can now enjoy street tracks with the FW46.

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With the Singapore GP also marking a missed opportunity for Williams to take more points, Albon feels the Sao Paulo GP marks their next best chance to score. Williams suspect that a cracked radiator duct caused Albon to retire at Marina Bay, where he had qualified in 11th.

Albon shared, via Motorsport-Total: “When I think about the remaining races this year, Brazil stands out for me as the race where there are the most opportunities. If you want to score points against a midfield team, you should try here.”

The London-born Thai is convinced that the Sao Paulo GP will offer Williams’ best chance for points as Interlagos has similar characteristics to the streets of Monaco and Singapore. They were ‘painful’ tracks for Williams in the past, but Albon feels they suit tight circuits this year.

“These are tracks that have always been painful for us,” Albon continued. “And this year, we were actually pretty good on them.”

Alex Albon is pinning Williams’ main hopes on Interlagos’ middle sector

Albon and Williams failed to score any points across the Monaco GP, the Azerbaijan GP, the Singapore GP and the Sao Paulo GP in 2023. Instead, their best results came with his P7s at the Canadian GP and the Italian GP when Albon utilised Williams’ great straight-line speed.

Yet the developments that Williams have made with the FW46 this season have allowed the 28-year-old to deliver improved results on tight tracks. Interlagos could, therefore, be where Albon and Williams’ next big haul of points comes thanks to a tight and twisty middle sector.

Should Williams perform well at this year’s Sao Paulo GP in Brazil, then Albon and teammate Franco Colapinto should also have some optimism for the Qatar GP. The Lusail International Circuit was not brilliant for Albon last year with P13 in the race, but he took P7 in the Sprint.