(Motorsports news) Alex Albon almost missed the top ten in Austria after a stellar performance in Canada, where he finished seventh with six points. But, with eighth place at Silverstone, the Anglo-Thai driver moved Williams ahead of Alfa Romeo in the manufacturers’ standings, accounting for all of the Grove team’s 11 points so far.
Alex Albon set the tone for his top-ten finish by qualifying eighth on a circuit that wasn’t supposed to be Williams’ strongest. But it was Albon’s coolness under pressure under a late red flag in Q1 that struck Williams the most, not his Q3 performance or his eye-catching fourth position in Q2.
Alex Albon was trapped in 20th place with only three minutes on the clock after his first lap time was deleted, but he recovered with the seventh-fastest lap of the session in slightly damp conditions. “What impressed me about Alex particularly was just [how] utterly calm [he] was, despite the fact that when the red flag came out in Q1 we weren’t in a good position,” said Williams Head of Vehicle Performance Dave Robson.
“We sent him out there to queue, you’re losing tyre pressure, I’m sure it’s not the ideal way to start the lap, but we needed a clear lap.” And it was a tremendous lap, and it all started with him remaining completely calm when the red flag came out. “He was completely calm, completely relaxed, completely happy that it was all under his control.”
It was just one example of Albon’s ability to get points on practically every weekend that the slippery and efficient Williams FW45 is capable of, which has motivated the entire garage, according to Robson. “He’s there the vast majority of the time, and he definitely gets everything out of the car.” “It’s a huge asset because if you’re not getting everything out of it, your confidence will suffer,” Robson explained.
“I believe his calmness stems from his confidence and getting that out of the car.” It spreads in some ways across the garage. It would have been a disaster if he had arrived in a panic. “And I believe he gets the most out of the car once he gets on that upward spiral and is confident.” It just instils confidence in everyone else.”
“I’m sure you’ll hear him on the radio from time to time when he’s out on the track, when a different Alex appears, who can be very grumpy and tetchy.”
“I don’t believe he is in reality; that’s just how he is when he’s driving.” He’s calm and relaxed as soon as he gets back into the garage and takes off his helmet.”
Also read: Ferrari: Increasing driver confidence is critical to F1 growth
