Alex Albon reflects positively on the Italian Grand Prix. The British-Thai driver celebrated another points finish in Monza – after finishing fifth in Zandvoort, he secured an impressive seventh place at the Temple of Speed. Despite several consecutive retirements, Alexander Albon is having an impressive season with Williams. Moreover, he once again outperformed his teammate Carlos Sainz, who had another challenging weekend.
After a difficult qualification, in which both cars were eliminated in Q2, Williams opted for two different strategies on Sunday. Alex Albon started on hard tyres, while Carlos Sainz – like most drivers – started on mediums. Albon was able to run a long first stint and thus had a view of a spot in the top ten. Even after his pit stop, he held his position in the points and finished in a commendable seventh place. This made him the ‘best of the rest’ behind the top teams.
“It was a fantastic strategy and the car had a tremendous amount of speed,” Albon responded afterwards on F1TV. “With those two factors, you always have a great race,” he added with a laugh. “On paper, it should have been a tough afternoon. I wouldn’t call it an easy race, but the car was really nice to drive. In terms of balance, this might have been my best Sunday of the year.”
Remarkable Comeback
“It always seems that our balance improves when we run with low downforce,” explained the 29-year-old driver. Several teams opted for a setup with less downward pressure on the fast Monza circuit. “In many parts of the race, we were as fast as the top teams,” said an enthusiastic Albon. “It was a great comeback after a tough Saturday.” Albon’s points keep Williams ahead of Aston Martin in the battle for fifth place among the constructors. In the drivers’ championship, he is seventh, just behind the absolute top.
“This weekend proves that we have a consistent car,” Albon concluded satisfactorily. “After last year, that was one of our main focus points. Fortunately, our approach seems to work – even after a bad Saturday, we manage to score points. How, I don’t know myself! That being said, I will continue with it. I enjoy it and I will try to keep Kimi (Antonelli) behind me until Abu Dhabi.” The young Mercedes driver is only four points behind in the standings.
