Key Williams staffer reveals Australian Grand Prix frustration

Williams

Key Williams staffer reveals Australian GP frustration

Williams has labelled the Australian Grand Prix weekend a 'missed opportunity' after Alex Albon's lap seven crash

Harry Smith

Monday 10 April 2023 13:55

Williams' head of vehicle performance Dave Robson has labelled the Australian Grand Prix as a 'missed opportunity' but insisted the team are on the right path at the start of the 2023 Formula 1 season.

The team's pace was clear to see in Melbourne, with Alex Albon running in sixth at the end of the opening lap after a clean race start and an excellent qualifying performance on Saturday.

Unfortunately for Williams, Albon's afternoon came to an end in dramatic fashion as a spin on lap seven sent him into the wall and out of the Grand Prix.

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To compound Williams' misery, Logan Sargeant also failed to finish after colliding with AlphaTauri driver Nick de Vries at the red flag restart on lap 57.

However, there are reasons for optimism at Williams moving forward given their strong pace throughout the weekend.

Alex Albon's Williams car is cleared away following his Australian GP shunt

Optimism at Williams

"It was a remarkable race but ultimately it was a missed opportunity for us." explained Robson after the race. "We leave Melbourne frustrated that we couldn't take advantage of our good pace and turn it into points.

"However, the whole team can be heartened that the car worked very well this weekend and we will be able to put ourselves into similar positions in future races, starting in Baku in a few weeks' time."