Williams Team Principal Blames Team for Near Miss in Bahrain Grand Prix Practice Session
Williams team principal, James Vowles, has pointed fingers at the team for a close call between Alex Albon and reserve driver Luke Browning during the practice session leading up to the Bahrain Grand Prix. Vowles defended Browning, stating it was an issue with the team and not the reserve driver himself.
The incident occurred during FP1 when Albon almost collided with Browning on Turn 13 as the reserve driver made a late move off the racing line. This forced Albon to swerve off the track to avoid a potential crash. Aston Martin’s Felipe Drugovich, who witnessed the incident from behind the Williams drivers, exclaimed, “Wow, that was close,” over the team radio.
Both drivers were summoned to the stewards following the session. Browning had stepped in for Carlos Sainz during FP1, in adherence to the new rules requiring teams to run rookie drivers in place of their main drivers at least twice during free practice sessions throughout the season.
Vowles took full responsibility for the incident in the post-session press conference, emphasizing his support for Browning: “Yeah, I mean that’s not on Luke, that’s on us. Luke did a brilliant job… So really, really happy with the work he did.”
Despite the near miss, Browning managed to secure a respectable 12th place on the timesheet. Vowles acknowledged that the session’s conditions differed significantly from qualifying and the race, making it an ideal opportunity to comply with the new regulations.
“It’s much, much warmer than it will be so it is unrepresentative, and [Sainz] has done many hundreds of kilometres around here,” Vowles remarked. “It’s always painful, but it is less painful to run a Friday driver here.”
The incident underscores the intense competition and high stakes in Formula 1, where split-second decisions can make the difference between success and disaster. As teams strive for perfection on the track, every move and decision is scrutinized, and the margin for error is razor-thin.
