Albon 'surprised' to see rivals on inters at the start of Q2

Alex Albon says he was surprised to be the only driver to opt for soft tyres at the start of Q2 in qualifying in Montreal as he didn't consider the choice as a gamble.

Running onboard Williams upgraded FW45, Albon felt comfortable at the outset in Saturday's varying conditions, clocking in P6 in Q1 and then setting a quick lap on slicks in Q2 that earned him a spot in the final shootout.

At the start of the second segment of qualifying, the Anglo-Thai racer headed out on the soft tyre, a strategy that contrasted with the field's choice as everyone opted for the inters from the outset.

But the bold move propelled Albon to the top of the timesheet, which eventually enticed his rivals to follow suit and switch to the softs.

"I was actually quite surprised when I saw everyone roll out on Inters! But it was great to get through and to top the times," Albon recounted.

"Q3 was a tricky one because it suddenly got much wetter and it became much harder to get the tyres in the window.

"I struggled a bit with that as it felt like the tyres were cooling down quite a lot on the straights when the rain picked up."

Read also: Williams and Aston lead upgrade chase in Montreal

Albon's first flyer was his only chance to make his mark as the session was red flagged thereafter following Oscar Piastri's crash and conditions worsened when the action resumed.

"I made a mistake, that’s fair, and I’m disappointed on that side of things," he said. "I just lost a bit of front tyre temp going into the last corner after the long back straight and that was it really.

"When I came ’round and I saw Oscar facing backwards I knew that was it, really. I knew that it was going to be too wet once we went back out again. So mixed opinions, mixed emotions."

Albon will start his Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday from P10, while his Williams teammate Logan Sargeant who failed to exit Q1 will launch his race from 18th position on the grid.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.