Williams surprised the entire Formula 1 world a season ago, taking home seventh in the Constructors’ Championship after finishing in tenth place during the 2022 campaign.
Williams banking on a ‘bigger’ upgrade at the F1 Dutch Grand Prix
Hoping to turn things around, Williams is bringing a ‘bigger’ upgrade to the Dutch Grand Prix
Photo by Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
However, this year has not been as fruitful for the team. They sit ninth in the Constructors’ Championship with just four points on the year, a far cry from the 28 they banked a season ago.
As the final chapters of the 2024 F1 season begin this weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix, Williams is banking that a series of upgrades to the FW46 that they will roll out at Zandvoort will help turn their season around. “This year, we are bringing one of our bigger upgrades to Zandvoort so [we] will need some time to understand how the FW46 behaves and performs. We are looking forward to what hopefully will be another good weekend in Zandvoort,” said Sporting Director Sven Smeets in the team’s media preview.
Albon enjoyed a productive weekend in Zandvoort a season ago, qualifying up on P4 and finishing in P8 to bring home another four points for the team. The Williams driver is feeling rested after the break, and hoping the upgrades pay off this weekend.
”I’m feeling well rested and ready to get back into it following a great summer break, and Zandvoort is always a nice race to return to, with the fans bringing a great energy to the weekend,” said Albon. “In terms of the circuit, it always presents its challenges, being quite a technical track with several banked corners and an increased risk of [tire] degradation, however last year we performed well, being one of our best Qualifying sessions of the year. Additionally, we’ll be bringing upgrades to the car this weekend, so I’m looking forward to testing these out and seeing how the FW46 performs.”
On the other side of the garage Logan Sargeant — who has yet to announce his plans for 2025 after the team signed Carlos Sainz Jr. for next season and beyond — is looking forward to what he calls one of the best events on the calendar.
“Zandvoort is not the easiest track to overtake at, but it definitely has an old school feel to it with its narrowness and fast flowing nature. I’m looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere the fans create as it’s one of the best on the calendar,” said Sargeant. “As a team, we’ll be looking to understand the upgrades we’re bringing this weekend and how the car will perform.”
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