After qualifying in sixth place for the 2025 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, Alex Albon expressed confidence that Williams is in the mix for the midfield battle this season.
The Thai-British-born racing driver managed to put the FW47 on the third row for Sunday’s race with a sublime qualifying lap in Q3.
On his debut for the British squad, Carlos Sainz also managed to make his way into the final qualifying session, setting a lap time good enough for 10th place.
After a decent showing at pre-season testing in Bahrain, Williams showcased that it has made big strides from 2024 towards becoming one of the top midfield teams this season.
Speaking after the session, Albon rejoiced as he expressed his excitement with the progress made by the team.
“I’m really happy with my lap; I got most of it out of it,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“These tyres are super sensitive and sector three was, at the beginning, a bit of a lottery.
“It was hard to understand why the tyre was going one way or the other way, and then by the last run of the day, I kind of hooked it up and then finally got that time out of it.
“So I’m very happy – I feel like we’ve obviously done a huge step from last year to this year, not just in terms of performance but also in terms of just parts and weight and everything else.
“It feels like we’ve approached this weekend very differently to [the] last few months.”
When asked if the team had carried its pace from Bahrain to Australia, the 28-year-old agreed but emphasised just how competitive the midfield is going to be in 2025.
“Yes, it does, I think it also validates just how tight the grid is,” Albon replied.
“I mean, the Alpine and the RB, I think any of us could have qualified P5 under the right conditions.
“It’s going to be a dogfight in the midfield, and we’re getting closer to the top teams as well.
“It’s going to be a really interesting season, it’s all to play for, I think.”
Sainz: ‘I feel like I was always one step behind’
Settling into a new team seems to be a common problem for many of the drivers on this year’s grid, including Sainz at Williams.
The Spaniard admitted after pre-season testing that he was feeling ‘a bit lost’ ahead of the season opener in Melbourne.
With limited pre-season testing, the former Ferrari driver was struggling to get to grips with his new car and find the limit whilst pushing.
The 30-year-old reiterated his concerns, despite a strong performance in qualifying, when he was asked if he was happy with his showing after the session.
“Well, first of all, [I’m] very happy for the team, for Alex, even for myself to be in Q3 with my first quali with Williams,” Sainz told media including Motorsport Week.
“If you would have told us three months ago that we would have one car P6 and the other P10, we would have definitely taken it.
“So congrats to the whole team and everyone involved.
“At the same time, I had a bit of a scrappy qualifying.
“Honestly, since FP2 and FP3 on the soft tyres, I’ve been struggling to know where to find the lap time with the out lap, with the setup of the car.
“I feel like I was always one step behind; I was trailing and reacting to the circumstances rather than being a step ahead.
“But it’s completely normal, and in a tight field, you are going to pay.
“Today, I paid the price a bit in Q3.
“But it’s only a matter of time before it starts coming and [I start] putting together a [couple] of laps, and yeah, I cannot wait.”
READ MORE: Alex Albon reveals key weakness Williams has addressed with 2025 F1 car
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