Being late with the production of its 2024 car, Williams began the season with a significantly overweight chassis. Although Grove’s team had already removed 14kg from the car over the course of the season, its 2024 FW46 still remained four to five tenths per lap slower.
A revised floor and other parts have taken weight off the car present on Albon’s side of the garage starting from Imola, while teammate Logan Sargeant is still waiting for the lighter floor.
Albon explained that it was difficult to keep quiet about the weight issue until team principal James Vowles revealed it to the press at Imola, with an obvious discrepancy between the overall progress Albon believed Williams had made and the disappointing results achieved so far, much of which is due to excess weight.
“It was difficult, because you asked me what the difference was with last year’s car and I told you it was better, but we were running in P19 and P20,” Albon said in Montreal.
“I had to bite my tongue a little, but it was mostly because of this. There are still things to improve in our car, I won’t deny it, but it has always been very difficult to answer your questions.”
Albon said that despite the Imola upgrades, his car still has a “fair amount” of excess weight, which hasn’t paid off as much in more recent races.
Alex Albon, Williams FW46
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
In Monaco, Albon took Williams’ first points with ninth place, while in Canada he was on course for another top 10 finish until he could do nothing to avoid Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari spinning.
“We are still overweight and by a good amount,” Albon said. “I think Monaco is the least weight-sensitive track and Canada is the fourth least weight-sensitive, so good tracks.”
“Barcelona is going in the opposite direction, so we just need to make the most of these moments until the extra weight is taken off the car. There is a big push to try and get it done before the end of the season, but it will be difficult.”
As Albon suggested, next week’s Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, a high-load track, could be a sterner test for Grove’s team.
He believes the new high-load rear wing introduced in Monaco will help the team, but he doesn’t expect “magic” from what is historically one of the most complicated circuits for Williams.
“Barcelona will just be an attempt to optimize our car. The load is maximum, similar to Monaco, so our rear wing works quite well. It’s quite efficient,” he explained.
“I don’t expect magical changes to happen, I just hope to have a slightly more consistent car. Barcelona has predominantly been one of the worst circuits for us. I know we say that about a lot of circuits, but it really is one of the worst. I’ll be curious to see if we’re okay now in Barcelona or if we’re really good.”
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