Alex Albon says predicts a harder Chinese language Grand Prix after his top-five end in Australia, warning that Williams can’t anticipate to be choosing up huge point-scoring outcomes with regularity.
Williams seemed fast all through the weekend in Melbourne and Albon certified sixth with teammate Carlos Sainz additionally throughout the high 10. In moist and windy circumstances, Albon went on to complete fifth, with the ten factors he picked up practically matching his 2024 complete of 12 and securing greater than half of the crew’s factors complete from final 12 months, however he says comparable outcomes will likely be powerful to realize.
“Actually, it was a kind of actually awkward races the place it by no means felt comfy,” Albon mentioned. “The wind was gusting like loopy, the circumstances have been clearly so blended. I wasn’t that assured within the race; it was extra about ensuring you don’t make errors and also you knew the end result was going to return on the finish of it.
“There have been moments within the race the place I felt higher and different moments, particularly when the wind picked up, the place I felt like relative to others I used to be dropping efficiency. I feel as a crew we actually executed all the things we might. First race, it’s not straightforward to be dialed in, if you already know what I imply, by way of technique and method to the weekend.
“We executed all the things so effectively to get that. Only a unbelievable begin and it simply reveals we’ve made an enormous step from final 12 months. These outcomes, they’re not going to return round very many instances this 12 months.
“We’ve talked quite a bit about capitalizing early internally inside Williams, making an attempt to ensure we benefit from rookie drivers and issues like that to get them factors shortly. [In Melbourne] that’s precisely what we’ve executed.”
China offers a brand new check throughout a Dash occasion, and the climate forecast suggests a dry and settled weekend, however Albon is just not anticipating to be significantly aggressive on the Shanghai Worldwide Circuit.
“Personally talking, [I expect to be] much less aggressive. I feel that it doesn’t swimsuit our automobile fairly as effectively,” he mentioned. “I feel Suzuka, we’ll be again aggressive once more however let’s wait and see. I feel we nonetheless don’t really perceive our strengths and weaknesses up to now.
“China was odd final 12 months as effectively with the tarmac, for those who bear in mind. It was creating very random outcomes. I feel it has been resurfaced now, so a bit extra comparative to the opposite tracks.
“I nonetheless suppose we’re struggling relative to others in windy climate. To not say China is all the time windy but it surely’s fairly an uncovered monitor.
“We all know predominantly in historical past our automobile doesn’t like lengthy corners. I feel we’ve made an enormous step in that space. Actually, I’m to know if China will likely be a telltale signal if we’re going to be higher or not, as a result of China does have plenty of them.”
