Williams brought a substantial update to the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, but only for driver Alex Albon. Team boss James Vowles acknowledged that the upgrade needs to deliver noticeable improvements in lap time.
After a disappointing performance at the Spanish Grand Prix, Albon expressed his desire for upgrades, prompting Williams to respond with a comprehensive new package specifically for him. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough parts available to provide the same upgrades to Logan Sargeant, who continued to race with the previous specification car.
Williams was eager to maximize track time for their back-to-back tests, but their plans were disrupted when FP1 was red-flagged due to a CCTV issue after just a few laps. However, Formula 1 organizers extended the second session to compensate for the lost time.
During FP2, Albon completed 33 laps, posting a best time that was 1.3 seconds off the pace. Meanwhile, Sargeant managed 38 laps but was four-tenths of a second slower than his teammate.
When asked about the performance gap and the expected impact of the upgrade, Vowles shared his thoughts.
“It’s an interesting question because theoretical expectations don’t always align with reality,” Vowles admitted during an interview with F1TV.
“Furthermore, Canada is a unique track with specific characteristics that may benefit this particular upgrade but not necessarily others. However, with an update of this magnitude, you would expect to gain a few tenths. If you’re not seeing that improvement, then the package isn’t quite delivering what it needs to.”
It appears that Albon did indeed gain those few tenths, indicating a positive outcome for Williams. The team will closely analyze the data and continue to evaluate the effectiveness of the upgrade throughout the remainder of the race weekend in Montreal.
With Albon benefiting from the upgrades, Williams hopes that the improved performance will propel them forward and enhance their competitiveness in the fiercely competitive Formula 1 field.
