Tag: Zandvoort

Fred Vasseur Identifies Ferrari’s Next Target After “Stronger Than Mercedes” Zandvoort Pace

Ferrari had the race pace to challenge Mercedes at the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix, but a difficult qualifying session and imperfect race execution prevented the team from achieving the strongest possible result, according to team principal Fred Vasseur.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finished directly behind George Russell at Zandvoort. Vasseur believes Ferrari was faster than Mercedes over race distance, but both Ferrari drivers started outside the top two rows after qualifying, while slow execution during the race cost the team further opportunities.

“I think the pace was strong, I think at least stronger than Mercedes,” the Frenchman told Sky Sports, “but it is like it is, that we have to now have a deep look on what we did and what we did wrong.”

Ferrari lost ground through starts and pit strategy

Leclerc also endured a slow getaway at the second start, allowing Oscar Piastri to pass him around the outside at Turn 1. The overtake was particularly notable because Piastri was running hard tyres while Leclerc had softs.

Ferrari later made a slow pit stop with Leclerc and missed an opportunity to move ahead of Russell after Leclerc had cleared Piastri. Vasseur said the Ferrari’s performance was “not an issue” in the Netherlands, but the team failed to unlock its potential during Saturday’s qualifying session.

“I think the pace this weekend was good, at least, in both races,” he noted, speaking to the media after the race. “If we missed something this weekend it’s more the quali first. Not in the sprint quali, but in the [main] quali, we had a poor preparation with an out-lap and so on.

“And the execution [in the race] was not that good, because we had a very strong start in the first start, and in the second start we lost position with soft compared to some hard competitors, and this is unexpected. And then we had a poor pitstop and then it was difficult. But the pace itself was decent, it’s not an issue at all.”

Tyre preparation hurt Ferrari in qualifying

Leclerc qualified third for Friday’s sprint race, only 0.055 seconds behind Russell, while Hamilton was sixth, 0.624 seconds off pole position. However, both Ferrari drivers struggled to generate enough tyre temperature in Saturday’s qualifying session and ultimately qualified fifth and sixth.

Ferrari had even used an additional preparation lap compared with its main rivals in Q3. Hamilton identified tyre performance as the key problem after qualifying.

“I think the tyres were the biggest culprit today, just really struggling to get the tyres to work,” he commented after qualifying. “They’re not really in in the first sector, that’s where we lost most of our time, and then they get better through the lap. Just do an out-lap and a prep lap, and the tyres are still not ready for Turn 1, it’s just nuts.”

Asked whether Ferrari should focus on upgrading the car or wait for its new power unit before targeting improvements in qualifying, Vasseur said the team first needed to understand how to prepare its tyres more effectively for flying laps.

“For sure, it’s always better to have a better aero, better suspension, better engine, it’s always helping,” Vasseur said. “But I think if we miss something in quali… but it was not true all the season. We had some races like Spielberg where we did a better job in quali than in the race. We were in the first row, we were second and third and we struggled a bit more in the race.

“The issue is that in quali, it’s a lot about the out-lap preparation, tyre management. But it’s a different approach of the tyre management in quali than in the race. You can be good on one side and not on the other one, from one weekend to the other. This weekend, I think we had a decent approach for the sprint quali, a bit more difficult [on Saturday] with cold conditions. And it’s so tight that on the sprint quali you have four cars in six-hundredths of seconds.

“You saw Lewis on the first day. He had to slow down a little bit after Turn 10 [on his outlap], because he had two or three cars in front of him and he lost [time in] Turn 1. It cost him two or three tenths and in this case you are losing four positions and it’s becoming a poor quali. It’s true for us, but it’s true for everybody, that you have to put a lot of effort in the preparation of each lap.

“If we have to learn something from the weekend, it’s not about the pure potential. It’s more about execution these two days. We were able to be there in terms of performance at some stages of the weekend, but we have to be there always.”

Ferrari remains second in the standings

Ferrari leaves Zandvoort second in the championship standings, 87 points behind Mercedes. McLaren has won the last two races with Lando Norris and reduced its deficit to Ferrari to 75 points ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.

08/27/2026
How Lando Norris Has Improved Since Winning His F1 Title, According to McLaren

McLaren’s Formula 1 title defence looked increasingly unlikely just over a month ago. Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli led the 2026 championship with 204 points, while McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had scored 103 and 92 respectively.

McLaren then introduced a major upgrade package at the Hungaroring, targeting the front and rear corner bodywork and adding a new floor and rear wing. The impact was immediate. Norris converted pole position into victory in Hungary before winning again at Zandvoort, where he passed Antonelli around the outside at Turn 1. The reigning champion is now 83 points behind the championship leader.

Although the results suggest McLaren’s upgrades transformed its performance, team principal Andrea Stella believes Norris is also extracting the maximum from the MCL40—and may even be outperforming the car.

“Lando is driving and operating at a very high level, in absolute sense, in relation to a Formula 1 world champion,” Stella commented following the Dutch Grand Prix. “He’s driving at the level of a world champion.

“And like I always say for Lando, what I like the most of his journey in Formula 1 is that he keeps improving. And especially after the start of the 2025 season, something clicked, which is not only a single click, but is a way of working with Lando, for Lando, and that we are adopting also on Oscar’s side now in particular. And this approach has led Lando to continuous improvements.

“So it’s almost like I see Lando stronger and stronger race by race. Because this weekend was nowhere near a weekend in which we could fight for the victory for granted, especially after having seen the performance in the sprint.

“But we invested in trying to understand where was the opportunity from a tyre exploitation point of view, and car improvement. Actually, both drivers improved from this point of view, but unfortunately a question mark remains as to the behaviour of the second stint of Oscar.

“So there’s overall a positive trajectory for both, but at the moment Lando is capable of maximising the performance in qualifying trim. If we think the start of 2025, this had become a bit of a concern that he overcame. And then, when you have conditions in which the car slides in the race, there’s not much grip, he is the master in this kind of conditions.”

Norris has gained the edge in qualifying

Qualifying performance has become a key indicator of Norris’ recent advantage over his McLaren team-mate.

Throughout the 2025 season, Norris and Piastri were evenly matched over one lap, sharing a 15-15 qualifying head-to-head record when sprint qualifying sessions are included.

After Formula 1 introduced new machinery in 2026, Norris initially trailed Piastri 3-1 before the unexpected April break. Since then, however, the reigning champion has dominated the comparison, beating Piastri 12-1. Piastri’s only qualifying victory in that period came in Monaco.

The average gap remains relatively small at 0.128 seconds, but it has consistently favoured Norris as Piastri continues to search for his best form.

Stella believes Norris’ improved mindset, rather than technical gains alone, has helped him develop more effective racecraft.

“If you want to look at Lando from another angle, I would say that definitely he is now expressing a higher level of assertiveness as he drives,” the Italian pointed out. “You know, the manoeuvre to pass Antonelli today is a really good demonstration of that. He’s demonstrating more self-confidence.

“This is interesting, and I quite like it – the self-confidence sometimes is not demonstrated by being the most aggressive. Sometimes you are self-confident when you think like, ‘You know what? I’m not going to have a fight now because I may lose in this fight. It’s a very long race. See you at the end of the race.’

“It’s this confidence in your means, in your strength, that I quite like. Which means that sometimes you are actually the one backing off when the situation becomes too risky.

“We need to remember that in the last couple of races that he won, he didn’t defend the pole position. He was actually second at the end of the first lap. But I did not hear or perceive any decay in his confidence, as to the fact that he was fast and he was just preparing his opportunity to then cash in on his competitiveness. So I think assertiveness and confidence are probably the two characteristics that he has improved the most from a non-technical, non-operational point of view.”

Source: www.motorsport.com

08/27/2026
F1 Fans Declare ‘silly season now serious season’ After Franco Colapinto Deal

Formula 1 fans have reacted to Franco Colapinto’s contract extension with Alpine, which secures the Argentine driver’s future with the team through the 2027 season.

Colapinto will continue alongside Pierre Gasly after impressing Alpine since moving up from a reserve-driver role to replace Jack Doohan during the 2025 season.

Colapinto’s Alpine contract extension

After the first 12 rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 season, Colapinto sits 12th in the drivers’ championship with 19 points. Gasly is 10th with 44 points.

Alpine’s announcement follows Max Verstappen’s contract extension with Red Bull, which keeps him at the team until the end of 2030. Williams has also extended the contracts of its current drivers, Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz.

With numerous rumours about driver changes circulating in the paddock, the recent run of contract announcements has ended several silly-season stories.

“Silly season now serious season. Happy for him though!” one fan posted on Reddit, while another added: “This season is so sensible that it’s silly.”

“Very good to see. Colapinto has improved significantly in his time with Alpine and is more often than not following closely behind Pierre, which is no easy feat. Vamos Franco!!” wrote another fan.

“Even though he took over the seat from a fellow Australian I’ve come to quite like his personality, and he’s quite fast too at points. Looking forward to seeing him on the track next year,” someone else posted, while another added: “Sensible decision. I think he’s doing a good job. Plus, he’s bringing in some good sponsor money, and he’s highly appreciated in his home country, so why fire him?”

Further reactions included: “At this rate the only change on the grid could be Ocon,” and “The guy has been holding on really well. Well deserved. Happy for him.”

Source: www.motorsport.com

08/27/2026
Sergio Perez Admits Disappointment With Cadillac’s First F1 Season

Sergio Perez says Cadillac’s recent development stall has made the past few Formula 1 races “a disappointment”, but believes the team can still find another second of performance in 2026.

Cadillac made significant progress during the opening part of the season, pulling clear of struggling Aston Martin and regularly beating the Silverstone-based team to avoid the back of the grid and the wooden spoon.

That progress has slowed in recent races. Aston Martin’s own upgrades, including aerodynamic developments introduced in Hungary and the Netherlands, combined with Honda’s efforts to improve power, have delivered a notable increase in lap time and left Cadillac behind.

Perez believes Cadillac has more potential. Speaking on Formula 1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, he said a new team should be improving constantly, but acknowledged that Cadillac’s recent form had flatlined.

“On everything, I think the last few races have been a disappointment. There’s a lot of disappointment because we haven’t been developing. We haven’t been improving,” Perez said.

“Us being a new team, this is what we should be doing, like every time. So I felt like there was a bit of a stalling in the last few races.

“And that’s why we had to review on things, how we were doing everything. Obviously, being a new team, there’s a lot of things that we are constantly learning.”

Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing. Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Perez measured Cadillac’s shortfall in lap-time terms, suggesting the team has found roughly one second of performance during the opening half of the year, rather than the two seconds it had expected.

Even so, he believes Cadillac is “not that far” from the established teams. Finding another second could transform the team’s competitiveness and allow it to put pressure on Williams, Haas and Aston Martin.

“I don’t think we have improved as much as we hoped for,” Perez added. “[We have found] I don’t know, a second? But probably we were looking for two seconds.

“The most important is we understand and we look at our processes, why it hasn’t come, that second? Why we haven’t improved in all those different areas?

“Because it’s not only one thing, being a new team, there’s a lot of things that are in there. And I can see them, you know. If we improve our load, our ride, a lot of things, all of a sudden, we are not that far.

“We are at the back, but half a second, one second will change our life completely at this stage, you know? And I feel like for us being a new team, it’s in there. It’s possible.”

08/27/2026
Alex Albon Dismisses Carlos Sainz Tension at Dutch GP After “Clear-the-Air” Breakfast

Alex Albon has dismissed suggestions of lingering tension with Williams team-mate Carlos Sainz after their collision at the Dutch Grand Prix, revealing that the pair discussed the incident over breakfast on Monday.

Sainz accepted full responsibility for the intra-team clash at Zandvoort and received a 10-second penalty. The Spaniard was defending on old hard tyres into Turn 1 when he hit a bump on the inside line, locked up and slid into Albon’s car.

The collision damaged Albon’s floor and forced him to retire, while Sainz finished 16th. However, Albon said there was no bad blood between the Williams drivers during an appearance on The Fast And The Curious podcast:

“We grabbed breakfast on Monday. Carlos offered to pay. I allowed him to pay.

“All chill. I think people like to make it out [to be] more than it really is, but at the same time, it was no Max and Daniel [Verstappen and Ricciardo at Baku in 2018]. For me, that was important. You can tell in the media pen as soon as you go after the race, you feel like the interviewer is like licking their lips, they’re getting so excited.

“So you just have to kind of like shoulder it and be like, ‘No, we’re not going to go down that road.’”

Albon joked that the collision had left Sainz owing him a free hit in the name of team equality. Asked whether he was allowed to “bump off” Sainz once as payback, Albon replied:

“I think that’s a good one. I’m not sure the team would agree with this,”

He then added:

“I shouldn’t say this because it’s going to write its own script.”

Albon also offered an insight into the pair’s Monday debrief in Monaco, describing the breakfast they shared:

“I kid you not, Lily had scrambled eggs with caviar. I had just classic avocado toast and then Carlos and I shared some protein pancakes.

“Carlos is way too confident about his pancake game. He has a confidence that I’ve never seen anyone have around pancakes. The way he talks about how he makes pancakes, you’d think he’s Gordon Ramsay’s coach.”

08/27/2026
F1 Fans Divided Over Lewis Hamilton’s Frustrated Team Radio Message

Formula 1 fans have delivered their verdict on Lewis Hamilton’s “sassy” team radio messages during the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, where the Ferrari driver openly expressed his frustration with the team’s strategy.

The seven-time world champion complained that he was being held up by Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, despite the Monegasque driver running on a different strategy.

Hamilton later questioned whether he was being used as a “guinea pig” after asking to pit and change his hard tyres, only for Ferrari to keep him out on track.

Although Hamilton has since apologised for his comments and admitted that he did not show the best version of himself during the race, fans debated the incident on social media.

“Ferrari pitwall is the one who should apologise; either they should clearly tell Charles to ‘box or swap with Lewis’ 1 lap before,” one fan commented on Reddit.

Another added: “I’ve been saying this from Hungary, Ferrari want to play fair to their drivers, but they need to realise each race they need to prioritise which one has better strategy.”

A third fan criticised Ferrari’s approach, writing: “Why bother having your drivers on different strategies if you aren’t going to use team orders to maximise results… F***ing Ferrari man. It’s like they want us all to think they’re playing 3D chess, problem being they showed up with checkers pieces,”

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari. Photo by: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images

“Loving sassy Lewis,” another fan posted. However, one commenter argued that Hamilton should have kept his criticism for a private post-race discussion.

“I hate to see this slander broadcast. It’s just disrespectful towards his team. The team that provides him with the second-best car on the grid. Save it for face-to-face, when the cameras are not on you, Lewis.”

Hamilton accepted responsibility for his comments in a post-race message to fans.

“I’ve listened back to some of my radio and TV comments. In the heat of the moment, frustration can come out, especially when you care as deeply as I do. But that wasn’t the best version of me.

“I take responsibility for that, and I’ll be better. That passion comes from believing in this team, the people in it, and what we’re building together. The direction is clear. The belief is there. And the fight is absolutely still on.”

Source: www.motorsport.com

08/27/2026
Franco Colapinto Secures New Alpine Deal for 2027 F1 Season

Alpine Retains Franco Colapinto for 2027 Formula 1 Season

Alpine has confirmed Franco Colapinto will remain with the team for the 2027 Formula 1 season, extending the Argentine driver’s stay for a second full-time campaign.

The 23-year-old will continue alongside Alpine lead driver Pierre Gasly, who has been Colapinto’s team-mate since the Argentine joined the French team at the seventh round of the 2025 season.

Colapinto entered the 2026 season under pressure to impress Alpine executive Flavio Briatore after an inconsistent 2025 campaign. He responded with more reliable performances in Alpine’s significantly improved car, scoring 19 points compared with Gasly’s 44.

His best Formula 1 result came in Montreal, where he finished sixth. After 12 rounds of the current season, Colapinto sits 12th in the drivers’ championship.

“I am very pleased to remain with this team in 2027,” he said. “I feel very happy and very settled here and it’s been even better that we have made significant progress this year compared to last. We have a lot more milestones to reach and I know the team is working so hard in finding performance and making the car better and better.

“Our long-term goals are obvious – to compete and win – and I am grateful to the team, Flavio [Briatore] and Steve [Nielsen], for the trust placed in me to be one of its drivers going into the future. I’m looking forward to seeing how everything plays out and focusing on my job on-track first and foremost.”

Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Pierre Gasly, Alpine. Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Colapinto earns long-term Alpine opportunity

Colapinto made his Formula 1 debut with Williams in 2024, completing a nine-race stint after replacing Logan Sargeant. Alpine signed him for 2025 as part of a group of reserve drivers supporting Gasly and rookie Jack Doohan.

However, Doohan was replaced by Colapinto after the Miami Grand Prix. Colapinto initially struggled to deliver significantly stronger results than the Australian as Alpine dropped towards the back of the field.

His promising underlying pace, combined with strong backing from Argentine sponsors, helped him retain his race seat for the 2026 season.

“We are very happy to confirm our driver line-up for 2027 with Franco staying as a race driver alongside Pierre,” Briatore said. “For me, having consistency is very important. We are now settled from a driver point of view and I have said many times that, while this is an important piece of the puzzle, the most significant we have to get right is designing and building a fast race car which absolutely remains our number one priority.

“We have seen Franco truly grow and mature into a great driver this year. His results in Miami and Montréal especially confirmed what I already knew: Franco belongs in Formula 1 and he belongs at this team. I expect both Franco, and Pierre, to continue doing a fantastic job on track and for the entire team to push relentlessly until we are fighting, and winning, at the front end of this sport.”

08/27/2026
Alex Brundle Calls Arvid Lindblad’s Dutch GP Penalty “Harsh”

F1 TV analyst Alex Brundle has described Arvid Lindblad’s drive-through penalty at the Dutch Grand Prix as “harsh”, arguing that drivers should not be punished for making a secondary overtake while taking evasive action.

Why Arvid Lindblad was penalised at Zandvoort

The race at Zandvoort was disrupted on the opening lap when home favourite Max Verstappen crashed at Turn 14. Lindblad was one of the drivers behind the four-time world champion and, while avoiding the incident, passed Pierre Gasly’s Alpine on the approach to Turn 1.

The stewards classified the move as a yellow-flag infringement and issued the Racing Bulls rookie a costly drive-through penalty.

Speaking on F1 TV’s post-race show, Brundle sympathised with Lindblad’s position.

“I think it is harsh. The accepted way to go about it as a driver is if you’re effectively avoiding the crash, you avoid the crash and you do everything that you can to make sure that you don’t become part of the accident,” Brundle explained.

“It’s difficult to then add in extra things that the drivers have to be aware of during an incident to make sure that they don’t then pass a car secondarily to that.

“It depends how far you are away from the incident. But if you haven’t actually passed a yellow flag and if you’re actually trying to get around the incident, I think it’s harsh then to penalise you for passing another driver while you’re actually taking evasive action.”

Lindblad explains Dutch Grand Prix incident

The 19-year-old Racing Bulls driver discussed the incident from his perspective after the race.

“Max lost it, then he came across the track, and there was debris everywhere. I couldn’t really see anything,” Lindblad told F1 TV. “I tried to avoid making contact. I think I almost hit one of his tyres. Then I was just holding my line and trying to just go straight to not have any incident or anything.

“Then I passed Pierre into Turn 1. But I didn’t see any flags or anything. So it was a bit of a shame. I also think the penalty is a bit harsh. I think we can all be honest. It took me out of the race, basically. It was quite extreme for such an incident, but fine. It is what it is.”

Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Photo by: Eric Le Galliot

Source: www.motorsport.com

08/27/2026
Nico Rosberg Praises Nico Hulkenberg’s “spectacular” Dutch GP Save

2016 Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg praised Nico Hulkenberg’s “spectacular” reaction after the Audi driver narrowly avoided a high-speed collision with team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto on the opening lap of the Dutch Grand Prix.

Although the rain had stopped before the race began, several wet patches remained on the circuit. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen lost control on a damp section while navigating the banked final corner and crashed into the barriers. Bortoleto suffered a similar incident but managed to continue after spinning 360 degrees.

As Bortoleto spun across the track in front of him, Hulkenberg was briefly engulfed in tyre smoke. When the smoke cleared, he found his Audi team-mate directly ahead.

Speaking during the Sky Sports F1 broadcast, Rosberg highlighted how the 39-year-old avoided a potentially major crash.

“It just shows how quick those drivers react. Hulkenberg went in; he knew more or less where Bortoleto was, where his trajectory was going,” Rosberg explained. “He has a white wall, but then at the last moment sees him and bam, reacts and avoids [a crash].

“It was a spectacular reaction from Hulkenberg, so I don’t think it was just luck. I think there was also some skill there to avoid that big crash.”

Hulkenberg went on to secure his best result of the season by finishing eighth, earning four valuable points for Audi. Bortoleto recovered from his spin to take 13th place.

Hulkenberg explains Dutch Grand Prix near-miss

The German driver later described the incident while speaking to Sky Sports Germany.

“Yeah, it was tricky and dicey. Naturally, I saw it all happen almost in slow motion at that speed.

“But Turn 14 was simply still completely wet and, on slicks, it’s a bit of a thriller, of course. I saw him lose the car—like I said, slow motion and at speed. But then you don’t know exactly whether he’s going to slide up or slide down, what’s going to happen.

“And it was clear to me: hey, I have to try to somehow get around this. On top of that, there was all the debris and the smoke from Max ahead. So it looked wild and spectacular. I slowed down and tried to wait as long as possible before deciding which way to go. A sheet of paper would have fitted between us, but not much more.”

Nico Hülkenberg, Audi

Source: www.motorsport.com

08/27/2026
Williams Collapses in F1 Pecking Order: ‘Aston is a different league right now’

Williams Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz says the team is currently faster only than Cadillac, while team-mate Alexander Albon has criticised the excessive number of blue flags the team faced during the Dutch Grand Prix.

Williams made a steady start to F1’s new era, scoring 11 points in the opening six rounds and sitting eighth in the constructors’ championship after the Monaco Grand Prix. However, Sainz finished only 12th at the following race in Barcelona, and neither Williams driver has since managed a result better than 15th. The team has also struggled to progress beyond Q1 in qualifying.

At Zandvoort, Albon narrowly reached Q2 in both qualifying sessions, while both Aston Martin cars were eliminated early. Fernando Alonso then delivered an impressive one-stop strategy to finish ninth in Sunday’s race, as Albon and Sainz slipped towards the back of the field.

“We are pretty much where we expected, which is towards the back,” Williams’ Spaniard lamented. “We are only quicker than Cadillac at the moment. You saw the Astons in race pace, they are a different league right now. So we couldn’t fight them. We couldn’t fight anyone, really.”

“You can’t imagine in the middle of the race how many blue flags you get,” Albon added. “I literally mean that every other lap is a blue flag.

“When we pit too early on that first stint, we come out behind a group of midfield cars that we were racing. They all boxed to miss all the blue flags. But because of us pitting early, we had no choice but to take the blue flags. It’s like you get dirtier every lap to cars that you’re not even trying to race, you’re in the marbles. The ones that did box in front of you to miss the blue flags, they’ve now got new tyres, and they’re catching up to three or four seconds a lap because of the blue flags. So, within five laps, the cars that just pitted in front of you are already behind you.”

Williams struggles with blue-flag traffic

Albon made those comments before reviewing the race and its data. He was primarily referring to Gabriel Bortoleto, who made his second of three pit stops on lap 34 while running directly behind the Anglo-Thai driver and approaching the point at which the leaders would lap him.

The Audi driver caught Albon just eight laps later, leaving the Williams driver repeatedly dealing with blue flags and traffic from cars he was not directly racing.

Neither Williams driver expects the team to challenge for points at the upcoming races in Monza and Baku, despite both circuits being considered potentially suitable for the Mercedes-powered FW48.

“If you look at the last five races, this is where we’ve been for the last five races. It is where we are,” said Sainz, who scored a podium finish in Azerbaijan last year.

“We’ve had a very tough weekend on my side with some consistency of the parts, which haven’t allowed me to set up the car correctly for the race. We have to learn from it. There will be some interesting data points to go through as a team with the struggles that I’ve had. We will be able to, for sure, conclude on them and probably help us to understand better in the future.”

Asked specifically about Monza, Albon added: “It’s always a good track for us. Low [downforce], not much combined cornering, so that tends to suit our car. We’ve got the best power unit on the grid, so it should help us. But I’m not expecting points.”

Williams sits ninth in the constructors’ standings with 11 points. Audi is ahead on 16 points, while Aston Martin is behind on three.

08/27/2026