Albon’s top-five finish down to Williams strategy execution in Melbourne

Alex Albon praised his Williams group for its technique execution within the mixed-conditions 2025 System 1 season opener in Australia, as he completed fourth after a well-timed swap to intermediates.

Though Albon had been gazumped initially by Charles Leclerc, the Anglo-Thai racer held off Lewis Hamilton’s makes an attempt to cross within the early levels and spent a lot of the race clinging on to seventh place.

Williams’ determination to pit Albon for intermediate tyres got here simply as an intensifying burst of rain had struck the circuit within the remaining sector, which introduced him forward of the likes of Leclerc and Yuki Tsunoda as his quick rivals took of venture by staying out on slicks.

Though Albon was unable to include Andrea Kimi Antonelli within the remaining act of the race because the rookie Italian had put him beneath scrutiny, Antonelli copped a five-second penalty for an unsafe launch, which reversed the order on the flag.

Albon revealed that Williams had spoken earlier than the race about capitalising on chaos within the early rounds of the season, and that the group’s decisiveness with technique had finally paid off.

“I believe as a group we actually executed all the things we did at this time,” Albon enthused after scoring Williams’ greatest end in a full-distance grand prix since Lance Stroll took a podium in Baku in 2017.

“First race it isn’t straightforward to be dialled in, when it comes to technique and method to the weekend and we executed all the things so effectively at this time to get that P4.

“It is only a improbable begin and it simply reveals we made an enormous step from final yr. These outcomes, P4s, they don’t seem to be going to come back round very many occasions this yr.

“We have talked so much about capitalising early internally, in attempting to be sure that we took benefit of rookie drivers and issues like that to get these factors shortly.”

Albon admitted that he was uncertain Williams would be capable to compete within the situations, citing the wind and the proneness of the intermediate tyres to expertise thermal degradation.

He urged that the automotive was set again in efficiency by the gusty climate, however that it nonetheless confirmed nice enchancment from 2024.

“I again myself in these situations, I do know my limits and I do know to not overpush it,” Albon defined. “However, on the similar time, beginning P6, I might have been very completely happy to complete a P7 when one of many Ferraris received previous.

“However to get into the weekend at this time and get P4, I would not prefer to have executed that race once more! I am glad that it is executed. Gusty climate and inter tyres that begin overheating typically aren’t a superb mixture for us.

“All being sincere, I believe relative to the RB and the Alpine, we weren’t as aggressive as we needed to be. However we have been rather more aggressive than we have been final yr in these situations.

“It was good to know that the tempo was nonetheless there and I used to be simply risking a bit of bit extra after I knew the pit window was gonna open, and issues like that.

“After I pushed I might catch Yuki, no downside, and I used to be simply form of ready for him to field or not field and clearly we got here in first and did the fitting name.”

Extra reporting by Emily Selleck

Photographs from Australian GP – Race