The Formula 1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix delivered a brutal weekend for Williams Racing, leaving the team scrambling to recover from a series of catastrophic crashes that severely depleted their spare parts reserves. The Grove-based squad sustained not one, but three high-impact collisions at Interlagos, which have thrust the team into “tremendous work” to get repairs in place for the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix, according to Williams team principal James Vowles.
In a weekend of relentless setbacks, Alex Albon, who had fought his way to Q3 in tricky, wet conditions, saw his day end abruptly after a heavy shunt under braking. The crash damaged his car beyond repair, forcing him out of the race entirely. Albon’s teammate, Franco Colapinto, added to Williams’ troubles with two wall-tapping incidents, the second of which compounded the team’s repair workload.
“The nature of Formula 1 is that you can have some of the most incredible feelings and results, as well as some of the lowest moments,” Vowles explained. “This weekend has been one of those lows. Three incredibly large crashes in just a few hours from each other have left us with a tremendous amount of work to be ready for Las Vegas in just a few weeks.”
Williams’ woes were compounded further as rivals Alpine capitalized on the race’s challenging conditions, with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly delivering a surprise double podium finish. The 33-point gain lifted Alpine three spots in the Constructors’ standings and pushed Williams down to ninth, increasing the gap to eighth-place Red Bull to a daunting 27 points.
“They deserved those positions,” Vowles admitted. “But it puts us on the back foot, and the clock is ticking down. We’re now looking at Vegas with serious focus, but also toward ensuring that we’re building strong foundations for 2025 and beyond. This is a painful moment for us, no question, but I want to remember it because this is not how I envision Williams’ future.”
Despite the setback, Vowles remained adamant that Williams would not give up on the season’s final races, citing the team’s determination to claw back points at Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi. “We have two fast drivers, and we have a fast car underneath us,” he emphasized. “I never give up until the chequered flag drops in Abu Dhabi.”
As Williams’ team scrambles to regroup and repair, fans and rivals alike will be watching closely to see if this resilient team can rise to the challenge and finish the season on a high note.
