In a dramatic twist of events at the 2025 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, Alex Albon, against all odds, managed to secure a vital fifth place for Williams, thanks in part to an unexpected assist from his teammate Carlos Sainz. Albon, at just 28 years of age, commenced the Grand Prix from the sixth position but quickly lost ground to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc as the race got underway.
The Grand Prix turned sour for Williams when Sainz, in an unfortunate setback, crashed his FW47 behind the Safety Car, which was out on the track due to a mishap involving Jack Doohan’s Alpine car on the opening lap. Sainz attributed the crash to a “massive torque surge”, putting his team’s chances of a good finish in jeopardy.
With only one Williams car left in the competition, all eyes turned to Albon, who stood firm against the fierce competition from Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari for a significant portion of the Grand Prix. As the race progressed, Albon decided to pit for dry tyres along with other drivers when the Safety Car was deployed following an incident involving Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.
In an interesting turn of events, as a heavy downpour loomed over the circuit, Albon and Williams made a strategic decision to pit early back onto intermediate tyres. This move turned out to be a game-changer. Amidst the ensuing chaos and another Safety Car deployment, Albon maneuvered his way into fourth place, eventually finishing the race in a commendable fifth position.
Williams’ Team Principal, James Vowles, was quick to attribute a significant portion of Albon’s success to Sainz’s strategic insights. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Vowles noted, “There was an additional strategist today and that was Carlos. His insight was incredibly useful on that transition to the inter. You saw a number of teams not sure, Carlos was adamant, ‘you’re gonna want to swap on that’ – and he was spot on!”
In a subsequent press release, Vowles expressed his immense pride in the team and eagerly anticipated their performance in Shanghai and the rest of the season.
However, the race was not without its challenges for Albon. In the final laps, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, making his Mercedes debut, overtook him. Although initially handed a five-second time penalty that would have bumped Albon back into fourth, a successful appeal from the German team rescinded the penalty.
Reflecting on his race performance, Albon admitted to feeling uneasy in the unpredictable conditions. He said, “Honestly, it was one of those really awkward races where it never felt comfortable. The wind was busting like crazy, the conditions were obviously so mixed. I wasn’t that confident in the race; it was more about making sure you don’t make mistakes and you knew the result was going to come at the end of it.”
Despite these obstacles, Albon was thrilled about the team’s ability to seize the opportunity amidst the chaos and secure 10 invaluable points. “I think as a team, we really executed everything we could today,” he said, highlighting the team’s strategic approach to the race and their significant improvement from the previous year.
In the end, Williams’ ability to capitalize on the situation, especially against rookie drivers, and secure points quickly was instrumental in their success, a strategy that Albon believes they executed perfectly on the day.