Alex Albon believes Williams needed more consistent rain to maximise its result at the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix, after a promising start from ninth on the grid ultimately ended in a disappointing 15th-place finish. The British-Thai driver enjoyed an encouraging opening phase at Interlagos, fighting several rivals and completing impressive overtakes before losing ground during the middle of the race.
It was another frustrating weekend for Williams, with Carlos Sainz enduring an even more difficult afternoon and finishing 19th, second from last. While Alex Albon struggled to maintain his early momentum, Carlos Sainz encountered tyre problems and made an unsuccessful strategic gamble involving a potential Safety Car.
Alex Albon explains why Williams missed out on points at the Brazilian GP
After coming close to scoring points with an encouraging 11th-place finish at the Mexican Grand Prix, Alex Albon had another opportunity to fight for a top-ten result in Brazil. Starting ninth, the Williams driver made a strong getaway and became involved in several entertaining on-track battles.
Driving the number 23 car, Alex Albon also completed a number of impressive overtakes and defended his position against several rivals. However, his race began to unravel during the middle stint, when he lost the opportunity to secure a points finish.
“We were hoping for a bit more, but unfortunately we would have needed slightly more consistent rain throughout the race to maximise our result,” Alex Albon explained.
“We had a good start and I was involved in some good battles, doing a lot of defending. It was still fun racing while it lasted. In the end, we didn’t have the pace needed to fight for points, and I don’t think we could have done anything differently.”
Despite the disappointing finishing position, Alex Albon defended the decisions taken by Williams during a race complicated by changing weather conditions. He also emphasised the importance of reviewing the weekend before the next round of the championship.
“The team made the right decisions and we drove a good race in tricky conditions. We’ll analyse everything as a team to understand what we can do to come back stronger in Las Vegas.”
Carlos Sainz explains failed Safety Car gamble and tyre struggles
Carlos Sainz endured an even more difficult Brazilian Grand Prix, eventually finishing 19th and second from last. The Spanish driver struggled during the opening stint on intermediate tyres, with significant understeer and front-tyre graining compromising his performance.
His pace improved considerably after the first pit stop, when Williams switched from intermediates to slick tyres. However, Carlos Sainz then took a gamble by extending his stint in the hope that a Safety Car would provide a strategic opportunity.
The decision ultimately failed to deliver the desired result, leaving the Williams driver unable to make meaningful progress through the field.
“It was a difficult day. The first stint on the intermediates was complicated: I experienced a lot of understeer and graining on the front tyres,” Carlos Sainz explained.
“When I switched to slick tyres, our pace improved considerably and we became more competitive. However, I took a gamble by staying out in the hope of a Safety Car, but by that point it was already too late to really make a difference, even though the final stint on intermediates went much better than the first.”
Williams looks to recover at the Las Vegas Grand Prix
The contrasting experiences of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz highlighted the difficulties Williams faced in extracting consistent performance across the changing conditions at Interlagos. While Alex Albon demonstrated competitive pace and strong racecraft in the opening stages, his progress faded as the race developed.
Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, found greater performance after moving onto slick tyres, but his attempt to benefit from a Safety Car failed to produce the recovery he had hoped for.
With neither driver able to finish inside the points, Williams will now review the weekend’s performance and strategic decisions before heading to Las Vegas. For Alex Albon, the priority is understanding how the team can build on its encouraging early-race performance and return to the fight for points.
The importance of changing track conditions and tyre strategy at Interlagos was also evident throughout the field, with Ferrari’s Brazilian Grand Prix difficulties demonstrating how tyre behaviour and pit-stop decisions influenced the race.
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