Williams aims for big points in Miami
A pleasant surprise for Williams, who finished sixth and seventh at the Miami qualifying round. So there's hope for big points after the missed opportunity in the Sprint.
Williams currently holds fifth place in the Constructors’ standings. This Saturday morning, the team from Grove could have increased its total by five additional points with Alex Albon’s fourth place but the Thai driver was then penalized for not slowing down enough under the safety car: « I am more disappointed compared to this morning. I was informed about it five minutes before qualifying. So I had to refocus and get back into the qualifying rhythm, but we lost five points in a big midfield battle. »
If he acknowledges his fault, he did not fail to point out that he found this penalty particularly severe because he intentionally did not slow down to avoid surprising George Russell who was right behind him: « The penalty is severe because I did it for safety reasons. I didn’t want to brake hard because George was right behind me. We had just switched to slicks, which were still cold. I didn’t want him to run into me, especially since visibility wasn’t great. So I was too fast by one second in a corner. Rules are rules but common sense could be applied, especially in changing conditions. »
During the qualifications, both Williams managed to dominate the Ferraris: « I’m happy but also disappointed. If I hadn’t been seventh, I would have been sixth with Carlos. It’s going to be important to stay together if we want to beat the Ferraris. Honestly, I think it’s possible. »
Interviewed by MotorsInside, the Thai driver acknowledged that after the free practice session, there was already hope: « The tires worked much better during qualifying than during the Sprint qualifying. I hoped to get into Q3 but with our pace, I knew it was possible to be sixth or seventh. »
From our special correspondent in Miami
