Alex Albon left the Miami Grand Prix with a broad smile, basking in the glow of a fifth-place finish that showcased Williams’ continued progress.
The Thai driver’s standout performance in Magic City, where he diced with the field’s front-runners, underscored the team’s potential on a track that played to their car’s strengths.
Despite a Sprint race penalty robbing him of additional points, Albon’s pace and composure in the Grand Prix cemented his satisfaction, while teammate Carlos Sainz, though frustrated by a ninth-place result, also took pride in battling the top teams despite race-long challenges.
Cautious Start, Strong Finish
From the outset, Williams knew points were within reach, with Albon and Sainz starting sixth and seventh. However, a first-lap clash between the teammates raised tensions, but Albon quickly found his rhythm, overcoming early mechanical hurdles.
“Had some really good pace, we were struggling with engine temperatures so [it] was just really important to get past Carlos and then we caught up the Mercs,” he said, reflecting on the race’s opening stages.
His confidence grew as he held his own in the top 10, even eyeing a higher finish.
“Honestly, we had really good pace, I was quite comfortable in my position. I would even argue George [Russell] got a little lucky with the VSC, otherwise a P4 was possible today,” Albon noted.
“Crazy to say, also just amazing to be able to see the podium – I had George and Max [Verstappen] in my vision, in front of me the whole race without a Safety Car, so yeah that is just testament to the progress we are making at Williams. The track suited us clearly, but very happy.”
Albon added that he’d “never seen Verstappen from start to finish in a race even in my Red Bull days.”
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The 29-year-old's optimism was tempered by the Sprint’s disappointment, where a time penalty for driving too slowly under the Safety Car cost him a fourth-place finish. Yet, he remained upbeat about the car’s performance.
“The car has been feeling quick all weekend, from the very first lap we drove around the track in FP1 I knew it would be a good weekend,” he said.
“It’s not going to be like this every weekend, we need to take these moments. It’s why yesterday [The Sprint] was so disappointing – because I thought we might not have a moment again to score points like that.”
Sainz’s Frustration Tempered by Team Pride
Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, endured a race of mixed emotions, finishing ninth after a gritty battle with Ferrari and Mercedes contenders.
Starting on used tyres and sustaining damage in the lap-one contact with Albon, Sainz faced an uphill struggle at the outset.
“The start itself went well, but I was starting on a four-lap used tyre, when the others were on new tyres and I knew this was going to make me slower on the first stint and vulnerable,” he explained.
“On top of that I picked up damage in Turn 3 with Alex at the start with slight contact, so I just made my first stint obviously very difficult with the used tyre and the damaged car.”
A poorly timed pitstop before a Virtual Safety Car further compromised his race, leaving him exposed.
“Still tried to hold on for my life with faster cars around me, and we were one of the first ones to stop.
“That gave a much shorter pit stop time to all the cars that stopped three laps later with the VSC. And in the end, I was vulnerable again… That’s why I’m frustrated and why today I think we should have scored bigger points,” the Spaniard lamented.
Despite the setbacks, Sainz found solace in Williams’ competitive showing.
“Very happy and proud as a team to be fighting the top four cars, as also the Mercedes I felt like today we were almost quicker than them.
“Good news, we just need to keep going as a team. There will be tracks where we might have this opportunity again and I want to be the first driver to maximise it.”
"I Saw a Gap and Went for It"
Sainz’s afternoon ended with a bold last-lap move on Lewis Hamilton, which led to contact and a stewards’ review.
“I think last lap, obviously went for it, saw a gap and went for it. I think he [Hamilton] reacted a bit to my move, it caught him a bit by surprise and he started moving left during braking which if you apply the rulebook to the letter you cannot do that as that is moving under braking,” he recounted.
“But last lap, last corner, everyone is going to be a bit on the limit.”
The stewards deemed both drivers at fault, taking no further action.
With both Williams drivers scoring points and showing flashes of top-tier performance, the team walks away from Miami with momentum and renewed belief — but also with a reminder that on a different day, even more might have been possible.
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Albon celebrates ‘amazing’ P5 in Miami, Sainz rues missed opportunity F1i.com.
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