After the three days in Bahrain, many believed Williams would fall back into the midfield. However, free practice in Australia, with Carlos Sainz securing second place in FP1, confirmed the FW47’s speed. Further proof came in Albert Park Qualifying, where the Grove team secured a double top-10 finish.
Stealing the spotlight was Alexander Albon, who delivered a masterful last-minute lap in Q3 to secure sixth place, beating both Ferrari cars and his teammate Carlos Sainz—10th—who couldn’t complete a clean second time attack.
Alex Albon’s comments
The Anglo-Thai driver proudly commented on his sixth-place grid position: “We were aiming for the top ten, so P6 is fantastic, and I’m very happy. We have a great car—it feels much more drivable this year. It’s going to be a tough battle in the midfield pack, but this is a great starting point for us. Also, qualifying doesn’t even seem to be the car’s strongest point; the biggest improvements have been in race pace. At Grove, we’ve done great things, and we’re in a much better position than in 2024. I’m very proud of the team; there’s a good feeling.” – the Anglo-Thai driver pointed out.
Carlos Sainz’s comments
“First of all, I’m very happy for the whole team, for Alex, and for myself,” added Carlos Sainz. “It’s my first qualifying with Williams, and we achieved our main goal of getting both cars into Q3. The hard work put in by everyone over the winter has paid off with a big step forward—I’m proud of the team. As for me, I had a bit of a tricky qualifying session. However, I’m not worried. There are still many things I need to understand about this car, and I’m sure better laps will come soon! We’ll try to maximize every opportunity—this is just the beginning.” – the Spaniard added.
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