Formula 1 Australian GP
Albon: Qualifying F1 laps in final stint secured shock point
Alex Albon says a series of "qualifying laps" were needed to secure the Williams team's "unexpected" first point of the 2022 Formula 1 season in the Australian Grand Prix.
James Newbold
Edited: Apr 11, 2022, 8:56 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The Anglo-Thai driver carried a three-place grid penalty into the Albert Park weekend after contact with Lance Stroll in the previous Jeddah race, but had to start the race from the back of the grid anyway as his car lacked enough fuel to provide a sample after qualifying.
Starting the race on hard tyres, Albon completed a mammoth 57-lap stint on his original rubber, gaining track position by staying out during multiple safety car and VSC periods.
He ran seventh, holding Esteban Ocon's Alpine at bay, before pitting on the penultimate tour to complete the mandatory tyre swap.
His switch onto soft rubber allowed Ocon, Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) and Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) through, but Albon had built enough of a margin over Bottas's teammate Zhou Guanyu to still finish tenth.
Albon explained that he'd saved his tyres early in the race, because "when you start last you can afford to do that" and improved his pace as the laps ticked by to score the first point of his F1 return after spending 2021 in the DTM.
"It just got better and better and by the end of it, it felt like qualifying laps for the last 25 laps of the race," Albon said when asked to explain his race by Motorsport.com.
"Obviously it's completely unexpected, but it really highlights all the work that's been done at the factory and here at the track.
"That's what determination and motivation - that's where it gets you. It's been an amazing day and I'm glad I could get this result for the team."
Alex Albon, Williams Racing
Photo by: FIA Pool
Albon admits he was "surprised we were never boxing under the VSC or the safety cars" and expected to be swallowed up by the pack when he didn't follow Kevin Magnussen's Haas into the pits under the VSC required following Max Verstappen's retirement.
But his pace during the final stint proved Williams' strategy correct, and Albon admits the team needs to understand why the FW44 seems better suited to the hard compound.
"I thought, 'Okay well they know something I don't'," he said. "One of the Haas' boxed in front of me and that was my point where I thought, 'Okay it's going to be a tricky race now', because that DRS was saving me from being overtaken from the pack behind.
"But once we got clear air we just went, we were on much older tyres than the guys around us and we were keeping pace more or less with the McLarens. At the very end pulling away from the Alpines.
"What's interesting is that C2 tyres really suits our car. We almost need to understand why because it's a bit unexpected, clearly this result.
"Maybe we need to qualify, race, do everything on that tyre. Bring in 10 sets for the whole thing!"
Read Also:
- Vettel says 2022 F1 season "can't get any worse"
- Alonso left "speechless" by yet more bad luck at Australian GP
Albon added that the result "feels just as sweet" as his two podiums with Red Bull in the 2020 Tuscan and Bahrain grands prix after a difficult start to the season for Williams.
"It's a much needed result," he said. "I feel like when you have a tough start to the season you want to switch that momentum and have positivity with what you're doing.
"It's hard when you don't get good results, it is a tough time but it motivates me, it motivates the team to get that point on the board and now we're hungry for more."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Alonso left "speechless" by yet more bad luck at Australian GP
Next article Russell: F1 pace would have "fallen off a cliff" trying to fight Perez
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
James Newbold
Did Audi ‘give up’ on GT3 too soon?
GT
Did Audi ‘give up’ on GT3 too soon?
Alex Zanardi’s top 10 moments
IndyCar
Alex Zanardi’s top 10 moments
More from
Alex Albon
Williams has better cooling vests than anyone – Alex Albon
Formula 1
Formula 1
Williams has better cooling vests than anyone – Alex Albon
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz reveal F1 boys' trip plans
Formula 1
Formula 1
Azerbaijan GP
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz reveal F1 boys' trip plans
More from
Williams
James Vowles explains request for review of F1 cost cap
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
James Vowles explains request for review of F1 cost cap
Williams Racing is suing a local garage owner for £1million
Formula 1
Formula 1
Bahrain GP in Malaysia
Williams Racing is suing a local garage owner for £1million
Latest news
Lamborghini World Finals | AM-LC Qualifying: Lewandowski dominates, taking pole for both races
Lamborghini Super Trofeo
LBST Lamborghini Super Trofeo
World Finals - Monza 2026
1 h
Lamborghini World Finals | AM-LC Qualifying: Lewandowski dominates, taking pole for both races
Marc Marquez: “In the first half of 2026, all I wanted to do on Sundays was lie on the sofa”
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Australian GP
1 h
Marc Marquez: “In the first half of 2026, all I wanted to do on Sundays was lie on the sofa”
"Just undriveable" – Isack Hadjar looking for answers after "massive" struggles in Austin practice
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
2 h
"Just undriveable" – Isack Hadjar looking for answers after "massive" struggles in Austin practice
Maverick Vinales: “If I stay at home, I don’t get paid”
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Australian GP
2 h
Maverick Vinales: “If I stay at home, I don’t get paid”
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe