The Sao Paulo Grand Prix was one of the worst weekends of the season for the Williams team. In no time, their two drivers Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto suffered three major crashes, leaving the team in a difficult situation ahead of the next Grand Prix in Las Vegas.
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It all started during qualifying, in the rain when Franco Colapinto spun into the barriers during a difficult session in the rain. A few minutes later, it was Albon's turn to suffer an accident on the last lap of Q3, violently hitting the wall at the entrance to the first corner, and seriously damaging his car, while he was provisionally second. The damage suffered by his Williams forced him to withdraw from the race.
In a press release the team announced, “Unfortunately, after assessing the significant damage to Alex Albon's car, the necessary repairs could not be carried out in the short time between qualifying and the race. The team is therefore obliged to withdraw Alex's car for the remainder of the Grand Prix. Only Franco Colapinto will be able to take part in the race this afternoon. »
But that was without taking into account the vagaries of the race which did not work in their favor. Indeed, while the rain increased in intensity and the safety car was out, Colapinto was again involved in a crash, this time on the main straight on the 32nd lap. This incident led to a red flag and the neutralization of the race for a time.
Speaking on these mishaps, Williams principal James Vowles acknowledged the scale of the challenge that awaits them for the final three races, “We had three big crashes in the space of just a few hours and now we have a huge amount of work to get back up to speed on spares before we go to Vegas in a few weeks. » He continued his remarks by adding, “The nature of Formula 1 is such that you can experience incredible moments but also real lowest moments in the sport”.
Alpine benefits from Williams' setbacks
Meanwhile, Williams' direct competitor, Alpine, took the opportunity to gain valuable points and take the lead in the Manufacturers' Championship. Before the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, the two teams were separated by only a small point in the standings. But with the double podium of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, the French team took a significant lead of 32 points, climbing to 6th place in the standings, while Williams is now in 9th place, 27 points behind Racing Bulls.
Lamenting this decline, James Vowles said, “Our Alpine rivals were fast in the race, without a doubt. They deserve these positions, but they scored a significant number lifting them up to a very high position in the championship and demoting us to 9th place”.
Despite these setbacks, the Williams boss does not admit defeat, “I never give up until it’s over and it won’t be until Abu Dhabi”he asserted with determination. “We have two fast drivers and a fast car. We will fight until the end to climb the rankings and become competitive again. »
Vowles knows the task will be difficult after this disastrous weekend in Sao Paulo, but maintains a fighting spirit for the future, “We have to go to each of these weekends giving our all while continuing to work on 2025 and 2026 because that is where our real goal is. That doesn't make today any less painful. On the contrary, I am suffering from it at this very moment. But we are not giving up, we are going to fight until the end to finish this season in the best possible way. »
