Alex Albon praised his Williams group for its technique execution within the mixed-conditions 2025 Method 1 season opener in Australia, as he completed fourth after a well-timed change to intermediates.
Though Albon had been gazumped at the beginning by Charles Leclerc, the Anglo-Thai racer held off Lewis Hamilton’s makes an attempt to move within the early levels and spent a lot of the race clinging on to seventh place.
Williams’ determination to pit Albon for intermediate tyres got here simply as an intensifying burst of rain had struck the circuit within the ultimate sector, which introduced him forward of the likes of Leclerc and Yuki Tsunoda as his speedy rivals took a chance by staying out on slicks.
Though Albon was unable to include Andrea Kimi Antonelli within the ultimate act of the race because the rookie Italian had put him below scrutiny, Antonelli copped a five-second penalty for an unsafe launch, which reversed the order on the flag.
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Albon revealed that Williams had spoken earlier than the race about capitalising on chaos within the early rounds of the season, and that the group’s decisiveness with technique had in the end paid off.
“I feel as a group we actually executed every part we did in the present day,” Albon enthused after scoring Williams’ finest lead to a full-distance grand prix since Lance Stroll took a podium in Baku in 2017.
“First race it is not simple to be dialled in, when it comes to technique and method to the weekend and we executed every part so effectively in the present day to get that P4.
Alex Albon, Williams
Photograph by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Photos
“It is only a improbable begin and it simply exhibits we made an enormous step from final yr. These outcomes, P4s, they are not going to return round very many instances this yr.
“We have talked rather a lot about capitalising early internally, in attempting to ensure that we took benefit of rookie drivers and issues like that to get these factors shortly.”
Albon admitted that he was not sure Williams would have the ability to compete within the situations, citing the wind and the proneness of the intermediate tyres to expertise thermal degradation.
He urged that the automobile was set again in efficiency by the gusty climate, however that it nonetheless confirmed nice enchancment from 2024.
“I again myself in these situations, I do know my limits and I do know to not overpush it,” Albon defined. “However, on the identical time, beginning P6, I might have been very comfortable to complete a P7 when one of many Ferraris received previous.
“However to get into the weekend in the present day and get P4, I would not wish to have achieved that race once more! I am glad that it is achieved. Gusty climate and inter tyres that begin overheating usually are usually not a superb mixture for us.
“All being trustworthy, I feel relative to the RB and the Alpine, we weren’t as aggressive as we needed to be. However we have been rather more aggressive than we have been final yr in these situations.
“It was good to know that the tempo was nonetheless there and I used to be simply risking a bit of bit extra once I knew the pit window was gonna open, and issues like that.
“After I pushed I may catch Yuki, no downside, and I used to be simply form of ready for him to field or not field and clearly we got here in first and did the appropriate name.”
Extra reporting by Emily Selleck
Images from Australian GP – Race
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Jake Boxall-Legge
Method 1
Alex Albon
Williams
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