Alex Albon says the 2024 Components 1 season looks like a “missed alternative” for Williams because it dropped to ninth within the standings.
Williams began the season on the again foot with an obese FW46, and whereas a whole lot of effort went into taking the load out once more, that additionally impacted its replace schedule. The Grove-based crew solely added one important two-part replace to the automotive proper after the summer time break.
That gave Williams a quick window of competitiveness within the midfield earlier than rival groups edged forward once more, with a variety of pricey operational errors and crashes additional denting the crew’s possibilities to maneuver up.
Albon feels the crew ought to have scored many extra factors in the beginning of the marketing campaign, one thing that might have given it a practical probability to battle Alpine, Haas and RB, which might have been doable with a automotive that had been launched on the load restrict quite than considerably above it.
“My basic opinion is a sense of a bit little bit of a missed alternative,” he mentioned. “It is simple to deal with the latter finish of the season and the crashes, however realistically we began with an obese automotive. We must always have scored many extra factors at first of the yr.
“We had one improve, which was improve, and we type of had a center a part of the season that was respectable. The plan was all the time to deal with subsequent yr early and at that time a whole lot of groups overtook us.
Alex Albon, Williams FW46
Picture by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Photographs
“So, if we had began off a bit stronger, like what the Astons did, had a peakier starting and trailed off on the finish, we might nonetheless have had a strong season, however we did not.
“I believe our greatest interval was in that center of the season; Monza, Baku, type of Singapore, that was the place our automotive was performing effectively, and now everybody’s type of caught up. However we have additionally simply had a whole lot of dangerous luck and a whole lot of points, a whole lot of crashes to be honest.
“However in some ways, I really feel prefer it’s extra of a missed alternative at first of the yr than anything.”
For Albon, Williams’ bruising 2024 marketing campaign is simpler to tackle the chin given the plans crew boss James Vowles has laid out to transfer the crew out of its present plight for 2026 and past.
“Ultimately, I am not too upset. I am not right here for short-term success. I am right here for the long run, so I am pleased with it,” he added.
“Workforce principals can speak, however I believe it is fairly apparent the setbacks we have had this yr. We have been fairly public about it, and I believe James may be very sincere with the place we’re, displaying you the route and the steps again that we’re having to make in some locations to get into a greater place for the long run.
“He is very sincere with me as effectively, very open with me, and we have now this open dialogue. Perhaps it’s taking a bit longer than we needed to, however I am glad we have now the aspirations to not simply be combating the ahead finish of the midfield. We wish greater than that, so we’re constantly sacrificing simply to get the upgrades.”
Learn Additionally:
On this article
Filip Cleeren
Components 1
Alex Albon
Williams
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