Alex Albon was one of the unluckier drivers last weekend in Canada, missing out on points at a circuit that generally favours Williams. The same cannot be said of the upcoming race in Barcelona.. At last year’s Spanish GP, the British team were nowhere near the points. Albon fears the FW46’s excess weight could contribute to a similar dilemma.
In a sport increasingly separated by mere tenths of a second, Williams are essentially giving away free lap time. Excluding Alpine, every other team in F1 is at the minimum weight limit. Since the regulations were introduced in 2022, the grid has generally eliminated their excess weight.
However, this is not the case for James Vowles’ team. The British team is over 10kg overweight, a fact that was only recently revealed to the public.
ALEX ALBON: WILLIAMS WILL NOT LOSE EXCESS WEIGHT OVERNIGHT
Speaking to the media in Canada, Albon discussed how this will impact the team:
“We are still overweight and by a good amount. I think Monaco is the least weight-sensitive track and Canada is the fourth least weight-sensitive, so good tracks.
“Barcelona is going in the opposite direction, so we just need to make the most of these moments until the extra weight is taken off the car.
“There is a big push to try and get it done before the end of the season, but it will be difficult.”
As it stands, Williams loses several tenths per lap from their excess weight. Considering the fine margins separating the midfield teams, losing this much lap time automatically is certainly significant.
Many of Albon’s near-misses this year (P11 in Jeddah and Australia) might have been points if this relatively basic area had been addressed.
Still, the Grove-based team can at least be pleased with their aerodynamic improvements. Provided they can continue adding downforce whilst also eliminating extra kilos, Williams can be even more competitive in the midfield.
