BOTH Williams cars to run upgrades as team builds momentum in Austria GP

Albon and Sargeant — Photo: © LAT Images

Austrian Grand Prix

BOTH Williams cars to run upgrades as team builds momentum in Austria

After a strong performance in Canada, there is all to race for at the Red Bull Ring

Lauren Sneath

Thursday 29 June 2023 15:57

The head of vehicle performance at Williams has said that Logan Sargeant will in Austria run the upgrades used by team-mate Alex Albon in Canada, which secured the latter P7 at the chequered flag.

Williams is gearing up for another exciting race weekend following their solid performance in Montreal. Albon had a banner weekend in Canada using upgraded parts, and this weekend Sargeant will have the chance to try them out as well.

In addition, Dave Robson has said the team are bringing more minor adjustments to the outer flood fence and front brake duct vane.

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With upgraded parts and strategic adjustments, the team is focused on consolidating their recent success and delivering a strong performance.

"We secured a good result at the last event in Montreal," said Robson. Williams now aims to build on that momentum with another impressive showing at the Red Bull Ring.

Upgrades for enhanced performance

In Austria, both Williams cars will feature the upgraded parts previously tested by Albon in Canada.

Robson said: “This weekend, both cars will have the upgraded parts that only Alex ran in Canada.

"We have also been able to make some minor adjustments to the outer floor fence and front brake duct vane to gain a little more performance from the new floor package.

“Both cars will have these latest developments but, as this is a sprint event, there will be limited time to assess the extra performance.”

The demands of the sprint

Robson acknowledged that this sprint is expected to be more demanding than the previous one in Baku.

The short, quick circuit combined with limited quantities of tyres adds an extra layer of complexity. However, this challenge also presents an opportunity for Williams to exploit the pace of their FW45.

Robson said: “This is the second sprint event of the season, but we expect this one to be more demanding than Baku; the limited quantity of tyres and mandated use of certain compounds at certain times is possibly more restrictive on this short, fast circuit.”

He said the “threat of rain for Saturday adds to the potential complexity” but may tip the odds in their favour to show the pace of the car.