Alexander Albon, Williams Racing driver, achieved a significant milestone during the qualifying session of the Monaco Grand Prix. Despite Williams’ disappointing performance so far this season, Albon managed to secure a place in the top ten for the first time this year. The unique characteristics of the Monaco circuit, which imposes less penalties on heavier cars, played a crucial role in Albon’s success. Strategically, he completed a single lap during the fight for pole position, surpassing Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and securing ninth place. Albon expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance throughout the weekend, despite some challenges with understeer in Sector 2. The team made the necessary adjustments and successfully resolved most of the issues. Although they did not completely eliminate the problem, they were able to overcome it and focus on keeping the tires in optimal condition. This approach allowed them to prioritize clean air and tire performance, rather than worrying about track evolution. James Vowles, Williams team director, recently revealed his efforts to reduce excessive weight in their FW46 car, which has been causing a loss of up to 0.45 seconds per lap. Albon believes that the team’s overall improved performance this season, combined with the less penalizing nature of Monaco’s circuit weight, contributed to their success.
“So, the higher number is the bigger one and here is the lower number. This makes the game not fair, but fairer around here.
“Additionally, just the genetic makeup, the fundamental car has undergone significant changes compared to last year. If you consider the areas we have strived to focus on, they were the low-speed corners, tight corners.”
However, while Albon sees this as a positive indication of what Williams can achieve when reaching the minimum weight limit, he acknowledges that it will not be a quick process.
When asked if his best result this season so far provided a good insight into the future, Albon replied: “Yes, but losing weight is not that simple. At least not for us.
“So yes, we have work to do to investigate this further. But we were already aware of this.
“We are aware of our differences every weekend, when we compare where we are to where we could be.
“But it’s a flaw, you know, we need to address this and strive to not be overweight, because I believe we can have performances like this more often.”
Albon also takes a cautious approach to his chances of converting his ninth place on the grid into points in the race due to the excessive graining he experienced during practice.
Regarding his prospects, Albon predicted: “Let’s wait and see. Because last year we had such severe graining that it was still easy for other cars to overtake us.
“So we will have to manage that. Manage the graining. We also experienced significant graining yesterday during the long race.
“So, what I hope is that the faster drivers can clear that and provide me with clean air to take care of the tires.”
© 2024
Portugal wins Euro 2024 in thrilling final against Germany
Portugal clinched the Euro 2024 title in an electrifying final against Germany. The Portuguese team won 2-1, with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva. It was a match full of excitement and incredible moments, leaving fans from both teams in ecstasy.
The game started with a lot of intensity, with both teams looking for the goal from the beginning. Germany opened the scoring with a beautiful goal from Müller, but Portugal did not give up and equalized with Cristiano Ronaldo, from a penalty kick. The first half ended tied at 1-1.
In the second half, Portugal came back strong and pressured the German defense. At 70 minutes, Bernardo Silva scored the winning goal, after a beautiful individual play. From then on, the Portuguese team held on to the result and secured the Eurocup title.
With this victory, Portugal becomes European champion for the second time, repeating the feat of 2016. The team led by Fernando Santos showed a solid and consistent football throughout the tournament, and deserved to lift the trophy.
Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the standout players of the competition, with brilliant performances and decisive goals. The Portuguese star once again showed why he is considered one of the best players in the history of football.
The Portuguese fans celebrated in the streets of Lisbon and other cities in the country. The Eurocup victory brought a lot of joy and pride to the supporters, who celebrated with parties and fireworks.
Now, Portugal is preparing for the next challenge: the 2026 World Cup. The team hopes to maintain their good performance and win another title for the country. The fans are confident and believe in the potential of the players.
The Eurocup of 2024 will go down in the history of Portuguese football as another great achievement. The team showed determination, talent, and proved once again that it is one of the powerhouses in the sport. Congratulations, Portugal!
