Williams’ Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz have agreed that the FW47 has become faster with new upgrades, but is also harder to drive, after promise shown at this weekend’s Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix.
The Grove-based squad opted to arrive at Spa-Francorchamps with a new and extensive upgrade package, focusing on floor fences and a new floor edge.
It seemed to pay dividends in the Sprint Race for Sainz, taking sixth place after a strong qualifying showing.
Despite Albon finishing 15th, he was able to turn things around in qualifying, qualifying an amazing fifth.
The Anglo-Thai driver set a blistering lap late in Q3 to qualify ahead of George Russell’s Mercedes, and will line up just one place behind Max Verstappen.
“I mean, I was P10 in Q2 and I didn’t feel that happy,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “I didn’t really know where the lap time was, where I could get more positions, let’s say.”
Albon was celebrating making it into Q3, thinking that was the limit, but then exceeded all expectations with a great lap to be within touching distance of the leaders at lights out.
“We were so far on the draggy side that we’re still okay. We remember Silverstone.
“I think it was the Red Bulls and ourselves, we were quite well-endowed for this. We paid the price when it rained on Sunday. So, we made sure not to overdo it.”
“But yeah, hopefully we’ll be okay. I still think, as a team, we struggle a bit more in the wet compared to some other cars out there.
“So, if we can stay dry as long as possible, that’d be lovely.”
Sainz said that Williams has “gone in the right direction, they’ve given us laptime and performance, yesterday and today shows,” but added the the FW47 is a “trickier car to drive in some ways, but definitely when you put it together it feels a step forward.
“I think we’re going in the right direction.”
Albon corroborates Sainz’s car ‘trickier but faster’ belief
The question was put to Albon about Sainz’s assertion on the cars, and corroborated the Spaniard’s take on it.
“Yeah, I would say so,” he said. “I think we obviously haven’t done enough laps yet to really set up the car into a perfect place.
“I think a lot of that will come back to us just with set-up changes. Being a Sprint Race weekend, we haven’t really been able to do much. We’ve got more downfalls.
“But yeah, I think we need to see. Because it hasn’t been the easiest weekend so far just to get laps together.”
Albon added that his belief that “our race pace is strong. It’s hard to know because I’ve been in DRS trains the whole race this morning. But our race pace was good on Friday.
“I think we’ll be okay. We just need to get some clear air. I hope maybe the cars can clear off and I can do my race.”
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