Williams will have a replacement chassis on site in Miami for the first time this season – Alexander Albon is particularly pleased that development can now get underway
Williams should be breathing a sigh of relief from Miami onwards, as the team will have a third chassis at the track from this weekend: “It’s not here yet, but it will be here,” confirmed Alexander Albon on Thursday ahead of the event
This means that the racing team now has a little security should something like what happened in Melbourne occur. Back then, Albon’s chassis could no longer be saved after an accident in practice. And because Williams did not have a replacement chassis at its disposal in the first races, it was only able to start with one car in Australia.
This danger has now been averted for the time being: “Basically, nothing changes, but it’s still nice to know that there is a small safety net,” says the Thai.
The timing could definitely be worse, as Miami is once again hosting a sprint weekend with two races – and on a track that has the characteristics of a street circuit.
In general, a replacement chassis would have been useful in the early stages of the season, says Albon – and not just because of his accident. With Jeddah, Melbourne and Miami, there are a number of circuits with nearby walls in the early stages. “That’s why it’s more valuable than ever to have a third chassis. “
Now the development can really get going
However, this is good news for the Williams driver for another reason. Because now the team can focus on the actual development of the car, which has lagged behind somewhat so far this season. “Hopefully we can now really concentrate on the upgrades and the general development of the car,” he says.
Because: “Things have not come to the car that should have been there already,” says Albon. “But this week we have small things and next time we will have a few more. This is our hunt to get back into the fight for the midfield.” Recently, the team has fallen further and further behind Haas or Racing Bulls, “and now we have to get back into this fight.”
Because – and this is part of the truth – Williams still has zero points after five races of the season. Williams is one of three teams yet to score a single point.
This is not nice from a team perspective, but team boss James Vowles has repeatedly emphasized that he is not interested in short-term results, but in bringing Williams back to the top in the medium term. This will require a lot of development work, because Williams cannot keep up with most other teams structurally after the lean years
Albon praises: James Vowles the right man
For Albon, the lack of a third chassis is a clear sign of the problems the team is struggling with. “I would say we’ve asked a lot of the team from last year to this year,” he says.
“James has put in a huge effort to get the team forward and to the level we should be at,” says Albon. That is the rear of the top field, where Mercedes or Aston Martin are at the moment.
He knows: “We’re not there yet. And the changes we are making to be in a strong position are a huge task. But I have a lot of confidence in James that he knows he’s making the right decisions – and that’s the right way to go.”
“I believe the team is strong and healthy and I feel there will definitely be improvements. It’s always nice when it happens immediately, but James is the right man for the job. “