Williams Drivers Strategy at Saudi Arabian GP – Caution vs Confidence

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix promises an engaging race for the Williams team, with one driver opting for caution and the other aiming to curb perceived overconfidence. Carlos Sainz will start from a season-best sixth position on the grid at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Sunday, while Alex Albon will line up in 11th, narrowly missing out on joining Sainz in Q3.

Sainz’s Steady Progress and Race Strategy

This marks the third time in five races that Sainz has made it into the qualifying top 10. In Bahrain, however, he retired after a collision with Yuki Tsunoda in his Red Bull, damaging the sidepod of the FW47. “It’s definitely been another good weekend so far,” said Sainz. “I’m feeling more at home and more comfortable with things. I’m happy and proud… with the progress we’re making and the direction we’re following.

Despite his strong qualifying performances, Sainz may adopt a different strategy for the race, aiming to add to the single point he has earned this season. “It seems like the top cars managed to overheat the tyres a lot less than the midfield,” he added. “I expect a very difficult race tomorrow to keep… two or three clearly quicker cars behind me.

Albon’s Elimination in Q2 and Run Strategy Concerns

Albon was eliminated in Q2, losing out to Lewis Hamilton by just 0.007 seconds. This marks the second consecutive weekend where Albon starts behind Sainz, leaving him questioning the team’s run strategy. “I think the timing of our Q2 run was questionable,” he said. “If cars run in-laps, out-laps, it doesn’t really matter. There’s a circulation on the track.

Albon believes that the lack of a tow during his final lap in Q2 may have cost him a spot in Q3. He and the team will review their strategy to determine if they were too confident in their own pace. “It’s frustrating because there’s obviously two weekends in a row where it feels like we should be in the points [and] we should be in the top 10 of Q3 quite confidently,” Albon lamented. “But we’ve missed it for whatever reason.