Williams made an encouraging start to the F1 Las Vegas GP weekend, with both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz expressing optimism after FP2, about the team’s early pace at a circuit the squad had previously identified as one that could suit their package. However, the disruptions during FP2 hampered their ability to gather critical data on tyre behaviour.
A track that suits Williams
The team had identified Las Vegas as a potential stronghold, and the early indications suggested their assessment was proving accurate. Albon, who finished eighth in FP2, was pleased with the team’s overall direction despite some questions remaining.
“Yeah, happy,” Albon said. “I think with this track, we knew it would suit us. And then it seems to be doing so. It’s still close out there. And I think we’ve seen, I think in FP1 we got the tyres to work, in FP2 we didn’t, and then a bit of head scratching going on. So we just need to figure it out.”
The British-Thai driver highlighted the competitive nature of the field and acknowledged the challenge that lay ahead in understanding the Pirelli rubber around the street circuit. Despite the uncertainties, Albon remained confident that Williams were operating from a solid foundation.
“I think we are OK, in an OK place, but in the end, FP2 was a little bit disruptive and we didn’t really get a lot of the information that we needed from it,” Albon explained. “So there’ll be a little bit more data crunching tonight just to make sure we get on top of the tyres for tomorrow.”
Targeting two problem corners
When asked whether the team’s pre-weekend assessment about Las Vegas suiting their car was being confirmed by on-track performance, Albon revealed that Williams had identified specific areas where they could make gains.
“Yeah, there’s two corners on the track that I think we knew we would be weak at and we seem to be very competitive in all the other ones,” Albon said. “So we’re kind of focussing on that, focussing on the tyres. I think if we can get them both into a decent place, we’ll be OK.”
The approach suggests Williams’ engineers have a clear understanding of their strengths and weaknesses around the demanding Las Vegas layout, with a focused plan to address the identified weaknesses during Saturday’s remaining practice and through overnight analysis.
Promising start for Williams despite F1 Las Vegas GP FP2 disruptions
Sainz, who joined Williams as a fresh addition to the team this season, also struck an upbeat tone despite the frustrations caused by Friday’s red flags and disruptions.
“Unfortunately, the issues in FP2 took away valuable time for everyone, especially for those who went out late like myself,” Sainz noted. “Other than that, today looked promising. The balance of the car feels good, and the tyres feel okay, maybe too close to the limit but I think we’re on the right path.”
The Spanish driver’s comments align with Albon’s assessment that whilst there is clear potential within the Williams package, fine-tuning will be essential to maximise performance when it matters most.
Fine-tuning ahead of Qualifying
Looking towards Saturday’s qualifying session, Sainz expressed confidence in the team’s ability to make progress overnight, regardless of the weather forecast.
“The forecast is looking like rain overnight but clear for when we’re on track, so we’ll keep working to fine tune the set-up for when it matters,” Sainz said.
With Albon finishing second in FP1 and both drivers expressing positive sentiments about the car’s balance and pace, Williams will head into Saturday’s third practice session and Qualifying with momentum.
