Alex Albon has said that Williams’ Singapore Grand Prix upgrades are “a little bit of an unknown” quantity for the Grove-based Formula 1 outfit.
Albon is the sole Williams driver running the latest evolution of the FW46 this weekend, with Franco Colapinto running an older-spec car.
The revisions made to Albon’s Williams include updated front wishbones, track rod and pushrod geometries plus changes to brake duct surfaces, boot panels, and chassis leg fairings.
Albon, who finished eighth and ninth in FP1 and FP2 respectively was unsure what to expect from the upgrades at Singapore, a potential bogey track for Williams.
“It would have been even better to have it a bit earlier,” Albon said.
“But it’s come now and it all seems to be coming together quite well.
“I would actually say it ultimately lends itself a bit more towards street tracks than it does towards a track like Austin. So, yeah, it’s good to have it before then.
“Honestly, it’s a little bit of an unknown. I think on the simulator it’s quite hard to see.
“You can feel the differences, but in terms of the lap time improvement, I think it will vary track to track what it actually gives us.
“I’d say it’s a bit more experimentation because it is this weekend. I don’t think this is a circuit that normally suits us.
“I don’t think it’s a track we’ve ever, at least at my time being here, we’ve ever gone well at [Singapore].”
Albon and Williams ‘testing’ Williams upgrades at Singapore
With Singapore not the best track for Williams in recent seasons, Abon has noted the team is using the weekend as a learning opportunity.
The Anglo-Thai driver said that the “whole kind of ethos behind the weekend, [is] a bit more experimentation.
“Trying to understand this new upgrade but also is there anything we can learn now that’s going to help us for the rest of the season?
“We’re not sacrificing this weekend but think of it more like we’re going to need to try different things if we want to be competitive this weekend.”
The Singapore upgrade is the second evolution of what Williams brought to Zandvoort.
Williams’ Dutch GP upgrade was its first performance-enhancing package of the season and immediately proved useful.
Before a technical disqualification, Albon made the top-10 in qualifying at the Dutch GP, something he’s repeated in the two rounds since.
Moreover, Williams has scored a total of 12 points in the last two events, taking its total tally to 16.
That tally has elevated Albon and Williams beyond Alpine in the Constructors’ standings to eighth, 13 points behind Haas.
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