Alex Albon Uncovers Williams' Strategy for a Massive Leap in F1 2025
Alex Albon has shed light on how Williams Racing could take a noteworthy stride forward next season, provided that their 2025 Formula 1 car meets the minimum weight requirement right from the start.
Currently, Williams is struggling to stay afloat, ranking ninth with only two points, a sharp decline from their seventh place finish in the Constructors' Championship last season. A pivotal revelation came last month when the Grove-based team admitted that hurried timelines for assembling the revamped FW46 resulted in excess weight, costing them up to 0.45 seconds per lap.
Even though Williams has introduced multiple components—including a new floor—aimed at shedding weight, Albon reveals that the team still significantly exceeds the 798 kg limit. The British-Thai driver emphasized, “There’s still a lot of performance in weight. We’re still far away from where we want to be.”
Albon explained that while they do have various upgrades in the pipeline that aim to boost performance, the pressing issue remains weight reduction. “The carrot at the moment is more towards the weight than the aero side. And in some ways, we are comparing the two, seeing financially as well because losing weight isn’t cheap,” he stated.
Alexander Albon (THA) Williams Racing FW46. 07.06.2024. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 9, Canadian Grand Prix, Montreal, Canada, Practice Day." srcset="https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CanadianGP-Albn-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CanadianGP-Albn-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CanadianGP-Albn-768x513.jpg 768w, https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CanadianGP-Albn.jpg 1200w">Albon, who recently secured a long-term contract renewal, has high hopes for substantial progress in 2025. The smaller strides being currently made are setting the stage for a much larger leap in the upcoming seasons. He stressed the importance of avoiding a repetition of this year’s errors to ensure the team can concentrate on enhancing pure performance.
“At the minute, we are on a slightly different developmental path,” Albon remarked. “This year is about making smaller updates each race. Last year’s big step came during this very weekend. The regulations aren’t changing next year, so whatever gains we make this year will carry over to next year.”
The cornerstone of Williams' future success lies in hitting the weight targets. “The biggest thing for us as a team is to make sure we hit those weight targets, that would be our largest step forward,” Albon elaborated. “Getting the fundamentals right in this area will enable us to make a significant advance as a team next year.”
In spite of the weight constraints, Albon has managed to deliver commendable performances, making it to Q3 in recent rounds and scoring in Monaco. However, his run in Canada was abruptly halted when Carlos Sainz’s spinning Ferrari collided with Albon’s Williams at Turn 6, dashing hopes of another valuable points finish.
As the team grapples with these challenges, there’s a palpable sense of optimism for the future. The roadmap to 2025 is dotted with both hurdles and opportunities, but with a clear focus on weight reduction and incremental upgrades, Williams aims for a remarkable comeback.