Albon took risk with tyre performance for Bahrain GP points

Alex Albon pushed harder than he wanted and risked damaging his tyres as he fought his way to 10th place for Williams in the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Albon took risk with tyre performance for Bahrain GP points

After testing, Williams was regarded even by Albon himself as the slowest team in the 2023 field. However, over the race weekend the conditions, including a lack of wind, appeared to favour the car.

Albon sailed through Q1 in ninth place and was then left frustrated after front wing damage meant he couldn’t progress further, leaving him to start 15th.

In the race he rose to ninth place when Charles Leclerc stopped on track and triggered a VSC.

Albon pitted for tyres but only had a used set of softs left, and so was unable to hold off Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who was able to take a fresh set for the final stint.

"I was always fighting the whole race,” said Albon. “I was always pushing on out-laps. I was always having to push more than I wanted to, more than I should be doing to save the tyres.

“So for example, when Pierre was right behind me, I'm basically trying to save as much as I can. I know I'm damaging the tyres, I know I'm actually giving up performance later in the stint.

“But I have to do it just to keep him behind. He came at me so quickly. On the final one, I couldn't do anything. So to be fair, the fact that we're racing Alpines is a great sign.

“I had to use a used set on that final run. It helps when you have a new set, the warm-up and everything, you've got a bit more peak grip."

Alex Albon, Williams Racing FW45

Alex Albon, Williams Racing FW45

Photo by: Williams

Albon admitted he was racing cars he hadn’t expected to be able to fight with: "We had our elbows out. I enjoyed my overtake on Esteban [Ocon], I must say. But it was good. It was really fun out there."

Williams was running a low drag specification that gave Albon a boost on the straights, while making life harder for him in the corners.

"I had a very low downforce set-up this weekend," he said. "Even across the cars, we tried something. It was OK, it made it tricky out there, but we had the straightline speed and we knew it was going to be a racy car.

"We’ve seen it before in a few races last year. I felt like the last 10 laps was like every race last year. Nothing new."

Read Also:

Regarding future progress with the car, Albon added: "We need to assess our weaknesses, that’s the main thing. We know in terms of downforce level where there are advantages. We have kind of a different character to most people.

"We are slippery on the straights, and less quick on the corners. But we’re making it work, and I think we’ve got to do what’s good for our car right now.

"We still need to dial out some characteristic problems. That’s going to take possibly a little bit longer.

"But for now, the short term, we know where we can improve. There’s lap time there. We’re quick and stable."

shares
comments

Related video

Aston Martin's Bahrain F1 performance like Force India's in 2014 – Szafnauer

Haas went through tyres like "knife through butter" in Bahrain GP

What Perez's Jeddah joy means for F1’s 2023 hopes for a real title fight

What Perez's Jeddah joy means for F1’s 2023 hopes for a real title fight

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Saudi Arabian GP
Alex Kalinauckas

What Perez's Jeddah joy means for F1’s 2023 hopes for a real title fight What Perez's Jeddah joy means for F1’s 2023 hopes for a real title fight

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Saudi Arabian GP
Alex Kalinauckas

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023

How Perez kept Verstappen’s Saudi Arabian GP surge at bay

How Perez kept Verstappen’s Saudi Arabian GP surge at bay

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Saudi Arabian GP
Jake Boxall-Legge

How Perez kept Verstappen’s Saudi Arabian GP surge at bay How Perez kept Verstappen’s Saudi Arabian GP surge at bay

The enormous job facing F1 for its Vegas gamble to pay off

The enormous job facing F1 for its Vegas gamble to pay off

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Las Vegas GP
GP Racing

The enormous job facing F1 for its Vegas gamble to pay off The enormous job facing F1 for its Vegas gamble to pay off

Testing times for Vasseur, but the true challenge at Ferrari is about to come

Testing times for Vasseur, but the true challenge at Ferrari is about to come

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Saudi Arabian GP
Jonathan Noble

Testing times for Vasseur, but the true challenge at Ferrari is about to come Testing times for Vasseur, but the true challenge at Ferrari is about to come

How the F1 driver expression saga continues to have a Lineker-like problem

How the F1 driver expression saga continues to have a Lineker-like problem

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Saudi Arabian GP
Alex Kalinauckas

How the F1 driver expression saga continues to have a Lineker-like problem How the F1 driver expression saga continues to have a Lineker-like problem

Why a Mercedes U-turn couldn't deny Sauber's F1 debut surprise

Why a Mercedes U-turn couldn't deny Sauber's F1 debut surprise

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Adam Cooper

Why a Mercedes U-turn couldn't deny Sauber's F1 debut surprise Why a Mercedes U-turn couldn't deny Sauber's F1 debut surprise

Why Mercedes is fronting up to its F1 mistakes too much

Why Mercedes is fronting up to its F1 mistakes too much

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Saudi Arabian GP
Jake Boxall-Legge

Why Mercedes is fronting up to its F1 mistakes too much Why Mercedes is fronting up to its F1 mistakes too much