It was a Saturday of two different speeds for Williams, managing to reach Q3 but with expectations that shifted significantly from the start of qualifying, initially aiming for a fight for the third or fourth row. However, the FW47’s extreme sensitivity to tyres pushed it out of its ideal operating window, forcing the team to rethink its objectives.
Every year, Williams arrives at Zandvoort aware that the Dutch track does not perfectly suit the characteristics of its car, which is better suited to high-speed circuits with long straights. Yet, the team is always surprised by its competitiveness. In recent years, Williams has achieved some unexpected results here in the Netherlands, even if they were not always fully converted into points.
For this reason, the ninth place in qualifying leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste, especially considering Isack Hadjar’s impressive performance with Racing Bulls. The young driver demonstrated that with a car perfectly within its operating window, it is possible to surprise even the top teams—just as Williams had done in free practice, including the Saturday morning session.
It is no secret that the FW47 is highly sensitive to tyres, particularly when track temperatures rise or overheating occurs—a challenge Williams has faced for several years. This exact issue occurred in qualifying, where the Grove team could not exploit the full potential of the car.
Carlos Sainz said after qualifying, “This morning in FP3 we were flying; everything was in the right window: tyres, track temperature… and then suddenly we went out in qualifying, and the first lap in Q1 was a bit shocking due to the lack of grip compared to FP3.” He finished ninth, behind the two Racing Bulls but ahead of Fernando Alonso.
Before qualifying, Williams had hoped to beat the Faenza cars and at least one of the two Ferrari cars. However, once the FW47 showed a clear lack of grip, the team had to revise its expectations.
Sainz explained, “We had to rethink our expectations a bit. We went from believing a top-six or top-seven finish was possible, to just thinking: let’s make it out of Q1. Then in Q2 we adjusted a few things, barely made it through, and in the end I finished ninth. Considering how difficult qualifying was, I think it’s a good result.”
“It’s a pity that conditions changed so much from FP3 to qualifying: we went from being a tenth ahead of the midfield in FP3 to a tenth behind,” the Spaniard added. When the car is outside the tyre operating window, it loses performance even in corners: the tyres don’t provide grip, the car slides, and overheating develops, reducing adhesion further in a vicious cycle.
“As a driver, you also need to understand these dynamics. I didn’t expect this car to be so sensitive to certain factors; I’ve never experienced this before, in my life or in my career. But it’s something I’m learning this year: I’m trying to adapt and figure out the best way to manage it,” Carlos Sainz continued.
“That’s why sometimes I end up in Q1, or it happens to Alex. We are usually very close on track, always within a tenth of each other. But then suddenly one is in Q3 and the other in Q1, and vice versa. It’s really, really difficult for us. But it’s also up to us as a team to manage these sensitivities and get things right when it counts, like we did today in Q2 and Q3.”
Observing Williams’ performance this weekend, it was clear the results were inconsistent, with one driver often significantly ahead of the other. Even Alex Albon did not make it past Q2, eliminated due to a lap where the tyres weren’t at the right temperature, compounded by a strategic error on the outlap, during which he had to let other cars pass.
“The problem is that if you go out too early, you encounter traffic on the flying lap because everyone is still exiting the pit lane and creates dirty air on purpose. So even if you have a clean out-lap, on the flying lap you get a lot of dirty air, but the tyres are ready. If you go at the end of the line, you take advantage of track evolution, but the tyres are cold and you only get half a clean lap. This puts pressure on you, and it’s hard to manage in qualifying,” Sainz concluded.
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