In a skilled display of teamwork under the Jeddah lights, Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon collaborated seamlessly in the closing stages of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to fend off Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar and secure a double-points finish for their team.
Sainz’s eighth place – his best result of the season – and Albon’s P9 has propelled Williams back above Haas into fifth in F1’s Constructors’ Championship.
The pair’s strategic use of DRS and precise racecraft ensured the FW47s held firm, delivering a morale-boosting result for the Grove-based outfit.
Starting sixth, Sainz showcased his newfound confidence in the FW47, carefully selecting his battles to maximize his race. Unlike in Bahrain, where he lost ground fighting misplaced rivals, he avoided prolonged duels with McLaren’s Lando Norris and focused on maintaining position.
A slightly slow pit stop hindered a potential challenge against Lewis Hamilton, but Sainz’s pace remained strong.
“I think today, honestly, we managed to nail a very good race and on top of that managed to help Alex to make sure he was getting in the points,” he said.
“So, very happy we managed to execute a very good race, even though the pit stop for the first time in the year [was] a bit compromised, a bit slow.
“We managed to push on, push forward and I did a very quick last lap showing the pace I had today was very good.”
Sainz’s adaptation to the Williams car is still a work in progress, but Jeddah marked a turning point.
“It was definitely a challenging start to the season, but it was always going to be with the adaption process,” he noted.
“I always warned it was not going to be easy, and I took it step by step, to be in race five at the level that I am… if I keep the philosophy I’m taking, I think we are going in the right direction.”
Albon, starting 11th after a disappointing qualifying, turned his weekend around with a spirited drive into the top ten. The Anglo-Thai racer’s second stint on the hard tyre was defined by a clever team strategy to create a “DRS train” to thwart Hadjar’s late charge.
Sainz expertly managed his pace to keep Albon within DRS range, providing the latter with a crucial defensive boost.
“After yesterday looked a bit bleak, let’s just say, the team did a great job and turned it around,” Albon said. “
“We played it safe to create the DRS train to ensure that Isack didn’t overtake us. If we got left alone, I think Carlos and I had a bit better pace than we showed there.”
The strategy, initially devised with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in mind, was adapted when Hadjar emerged as the primary threat.
“But we talked about this strategy, it got brought up in the strategy meeting – actually more with Pierre [Gasly], because Pierre was going to have good race pace today. But then obviously Isack [Hadjar] took his place, and we did the same thing, so very happy.”
Lando Norris could not resist a mischievous thought as the F1 field circulated at a…
Nico Hulkenberg, Audi (DNF) – 4/10 You cannot blame the German for his car giving…
Silverstone may not have delivered the result McLaren wanted in Formula 1, with the team…
Kimi Antonelli left Silverstone with zero championship points, a penalty, and a bruised result sheet…
On this day in 1958 at the French Grand Prix in Reims, future world champion…
Carlos Sainz was handed an unusual post-race penalty following the British Grand Prix after incorrectly…