Alex Albon is convinced that Williams is making progress, even though it might seem like the team is taking steps backward. An overweight car at the beginning of the season led to a slump in performance, pushing the team further down the field.
Things looked promising about 19 months ago when team principal James Vowles took charge and immediately improved the results. However, Albon emphasizes that this season’s results should not be overanalyzed, as the team is laying the groundwork to return to the top.
“We’re obviously not where we want to be,” he says during our interview at the Hungarian Grand Prix. “Honestly, I believe that this is also a testament to the other teams. This midfield group has made such a big leap.”
“We’ve made good progress, but compared to the others, we might be a bit behind. I think the Haas was the standout car in the group.”
“But at the same time, I’m not sitting here scratching my head, unable to understand why this is,” Albon continues. “I feel that we’ve made many changes within the team, from last year to this. There have been significant changes in the DNA of the car and also in the team’s structure.”
Car Weight Issues Held Williams Back
“When you challenge the team so much and make so many changes, it reveals the weaknesses. We had an overweight car, which is well known. It’s really unfortunate that we didn’t have the weight we should have had at the beginning of the year.”
“Our car should have been consistently in the points in the first races, and then we would have gradually slipped to where we are now. There are many ‘what-ifs,’ but I’m glad that we’re building the foundations,” Albon adds.
“I don’t think that without the changes we’ve made, we would ever be a team that could come out of this fight at the back of the field, and I feel that we now at least have the basics that can move us forward.”