Williams Head of Vehicle Performance Dave Robson says Alex Albon’s ability to extract the most from his car is a “massive asset” that is breeding confidence everywhere in the team.
At Silverstone last time out, Albon scored his second top-ten finish in three races, the Anglo-Thai racer finishing the British Grand Prix P8 after a solid Sunday driver.
But Albon’s result was preceded, and indeed set up, by an impressive qualifying session on Saturday afternoon that saw the Williams charger shine after dodging a bullet in Q1.
In the first segment of qualifying, Albon’s safe passage into Q2 was jeopardized when the stewards deleted his fastest lap which, coupled with a late red flag, forced him to start afresh but with just three minutes remaining on the clock.
While a sense of urgency seized Williams’ crews, calm and composure prevailed in the cockpit of the FW45, with Albon heading back out in the slightly damp conditions and securing his presence in Q2 by setting the seventh fastest lap.
"What impressed me about Alex particularly was just [how] utterly calm [he] was, despite when the red flag came out in Q1 we weren't in a good position," recounted an impressed Robson.
Williams Head of Vehicle Performance Dave Robson.
"We sent him out there to queue, you are losing tyre pressure, I'm pretty sure it's not the ideal way to start the lap but we had to get a clear lap in.
“And it was an exceptional lap, and that all started say from his being totally calm, not panicked at all when the red flag came out.
"He was completely calm, completely relaxed, happy it was all under his control."
But Robson’s praise of Albon extended to his ability to exploit the full potential of Williams’ FW-45 on any given day and regardless of the circumstances, a quality the Williams engineer views as “a massive asset”.
"The vast majority of the time he is there, and he gets everything out of the car for sure,” said the Briton.
“It is a massive asset, because if you're not getting everything out of it, then confidence drops."
And confidence at Williams is continually ramping up thanks to Albon’s positive attitude and performances out on the track.
"I think his calmness is all rooted in his confidence and getting that out of the car. In a way, it spreads around the garage. If he'd come in panicky then it would have turned into a right old mess.
"And I think once he gets on that upward spiral and he's confident, he does get the most out of the car. It just breeds confidence everywhere else."
"I'm sure you'll hear him on the radio at times when he's out on the track where suddenly a different Alex appears that can appear very grumpy and tetchy.
"I don't think in reality he is, that's just how he is when he's driving. The moment he's back into the garage and the helmet's off, he's calm and chilled again."
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
