Bad luck for Sargeant: Williams updates only for Albon
F1 News
- Toby McLuskie
After a promising start to the season, Williams has fallen way back in recent months. The English team took a well-deserved point in the opening race thanks to Alexander Albon, then the team with Logan Sargeant also within its ranks was mostly at the back of the grid. Some updates for the Canadian Grand Prix should be the u-turn for the results.
With the FW45, there is little to complain about in terms of top speed, but in the slower corners, the Williams team has some problems. The track in Canada, Dave Robson (Head of Vehicle Performance) expects, suits the British team better than, say, Monaco or Barcelona. Partly for this reason, the team chose to bring to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve the necessary upgrades, the team announced in a press release. For now, only Albon can use it. "We expect to be more competitive, but we will take our time on Friday to understand if the new package is delivering as expected," Robson said.
Multiple strategies possible in Canada
Tyres, tyres and more tyres. In Canada, it is hugely important to combat fast tyre wear as much as possible, Robson realises: "Alongside the work to understand the upgrades, we will look at the usual tyre work on Friday as well as understanding how the track surface has weathered in the last 12 months. Overtaking is easier in Montreal than it was at the last two races, which may open up some additional strategy options during the Grand Prix if the tyre degradation can be managed."
For Sargeant, it will be a first visit to the Montreal circuit. The American, making his debut in Formula 1 this season, has meanwhile put in some hours in the simulator to master the track. In any case, he will have a challenging weekend ahead of him. "Tyre and brake management whilst negotiating the walls and the kerbs is tricky, but there is some time on the straights to take a breath before the next sequence starts," Robson says.