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Albon to get major Williams upgrade at Silverstone
Alex Albon will be the only Williams driver to get the team’s major upgrade at the British Grand Prix this weekend.
Williams is introducing a new aerodynamic package that RACER understands is along the same lines as the Red Bull concept, with the main focus on the car’s bodywork and floor. Ahead of the team’s home race, head of vehicle performance Dave Robson says the update will only be used on Albon’s car, with a focus on understanding how it impacts on both performance and handling compared to the existing design.
“We have an updated aero package for this weekend, which will run on Alex’s car only as we look to check its behavior and confirm that it is working as intended,” Robson said. “The bodywork and floor form the basis of the upgrade and are intended to efficiently increase the downforce of the car.
“We are looking forward to our home race and to understanding the new parts; they are likely to change the balance and the handling of the car and it may take a little bit of time to harness them so that the drivers can get the most from them. With next week’s race in Austria being a Sprint event, we will be looking to get as much learning done this weekend as possible.”
Albon is the lead Williams in the championship standings having scored three points so far this year while Nicholas Latifi remains scoreless, and the British-Thai driver says Silverstone is always a special weekend for him regardless of the new parts he’s receiving.
“Silverstone is a home race for the team and half for me too!” Albon said. “It's a special circuit made better by all the fans who come out to show their support. Silverstone is also where I first got my karting license at 8 years old, so it's really where it all began for me. It has to be one of the most enjoyable circuits for a driver and I think it'll be pretty fun in these cars.”
Chris Medland
While studying Sports Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, Chris managed to talk his way into working at the British Grand Prix in 2008 and was retained for three years before joining ESPN F1 as Assistant Editor. After three further years at ESPN, a spell as F1 Editor at Crash Media Group was followed by the major task of launching F1i.com’s English-language website and running it as Editor. Present at every race since the start of 2014, he has continued building his freelance portfolio, working with international titles. As well as writing for RACER, his broadcast work includes television appearances on F1 TV and as a presenter and reporter on North America's live radio coverage on SiriusXM.
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