The verdict was expected for Williams at Suzuka: on such a fast and technical circuit, the FW48 confirmed its structural limits between overweight, lack of aerodynamic downforce and stability deficit.
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In this context, seeing Carlos Sainz set the 16th fastest time in qualifying is no surprise.
The Spaniard, however, was keen to highlight the clean execution of his weekend, believing he had achieved the maximum possible.
Better than in China
“Getting into Q2 was our best possible goal and we achieved it. As a team, we gave our all and my laps were solid,” he explains. “We have progressed compared to China, but 16th place is not where we are aiming. I love driving at Suzuka and I will do everything possible to optimize the race.”
For Alexander Albon, the session was more tense, eliminated in Q1 with the 17th fastest time. A result that led to an unusual radio exchange, revealing a certain unease.
When asking his engineer where he was losing time to his teammate, the answer — “you don’t want to know, but you can guess” — sparked a reaction tinged with irony: “I’ve been complaining for three races, but it’s probably my driving style.”
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A rare outburst for the Thai driver, usually measured, which hints at internal misunderstandings about the car’s behavior. Despite this frustration, Albon paradoxically seems satisfied with his performance behind the wheel. He believes he was in sync with his car, while pointing to a persistent problem that limits overall performance.
“I’m happy with my driving. The car is behaving well and I felt better than ever this year. The pace was good,” he says. “It’s nothing insurmountable, but we need to understand the origin. We are performing well in the corners, but there are still question marks.”
A race to limit the damage
Under these conditions, Williams approaches the race with limited ambitions, focused more on maximizing the package than on a real fight for points.
On a circuit where overtaking remains complex, strategy and opportunities could nevertheless offer some openings. But without a significant improvement in pace, the British team seems condemned to race at the back of the grid this weekend.
Williams thus confirms its structural difficulties on fast circuits, with a performing driver duo but constrained by a car that is still too limited to hope to play a role in the midfield
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