Alex Albon Eyes Race Recovery After Italian GP Qualifying Tire Woes

Alex Albon's persistent tire issues resurfaced during qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix, leading to a frustrating 14th-place start for the Williams driver. Despite strong free practice sessions, where Williams showed encouraging pace, both Albon and teammate Carlos Sainz struggled to progress to Q3.

Why it matters

Williams demonstrated genuine speed in Friday's practice, with Sainz finishing third and Albon seventh in both FP1 and FP2. However, this promising pace didn't translate to qualifying, highlighting a critical issue that hinders their weekend performance, especially on a crucial single-lap effort.

The details

Albon squarely attributes the qualifying struggles to an inability to get the tires into their optimal operating window on the crucial first flying lap.

• Tire Temperature Window: Albon explained that in practice, drivers can do multiple push laps and cool-down laps to heat the tires. In qualifying, minimum delta times force a single-lap effort, preventing him from properly preparing the tires.
• Qualifying Disruption: Further compounding his issues, Albon was called for a weighbridge check during Q2. This forced him to leave the pitlane mid-session, disrupting his out-lap strategy and making it impossible to find clear track or manage his tire preparation as desired.
• Underlying Car Issues: Albon suggests the tire issue might be a symptom of deeper car problems, potentially related to geometry, load distribution, or the car's inherent sensitivity to wind and tires. He notes that Williams cannot use the same out-lap strategies as other teams.

Looking ahead

Albon remains optimistic for the race, believing the car's performance will improve due to the nature of race-long tire management. However, he acknowledges potential challenges.

• Race Pace: "In a race the tyres get hot and they actually work. I think we're going to be OK," Albon stated, expecting the car to be competitive.
• DRS Trains: A major concern for Albon is the potential for single-stop DRS trains at Monza, where the effect of DRS can be weak, making overtakes difficult. He hopes he and Sainz can work together if they end up in such a situation.
• Team Strategy: Williams had anticipated these challenges, with Albon noting the team needs to be "even more on it" regarding pitlane exits and out-laps. They know what they want to do with the tires, but executing it consistently remains their biggest hurdle.

Albon stresses the need for solutions, especially with similar tire-sensitive tracks like Baku still on the calendar.