It’s hard for a team to experience a worse Sunday than Williams did at Interlagos. The Grove-based team’s cars were involved in three incidents between qualifying and the race, two of which caused significant damage. To add to the financial disaster, Alpine has overtaken Williams in the Constructors’ Championship, pushing Williams down to ninth place and potentially costing them millions at the end of the season.
Mortified Drivers: “Now We Need to Show Resilience”
In morning qualifying, both Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto went off track. Alex Albon’s crash in Q3 was the more severe: he lost control of his Williams at the Turn 1 braking zone, crashing heavily into the barriers.
Besides squandering a session where he was performing very well, the former Red Bull driver was unable to start the Brazilian GP scheduled just a few hours later. “I can only feel sorry for the team because I know the damages in recent weeks have been enormous and have put us in a tough position for the next three races,” said Alex Albon. “I really didn’t expect the accident in Turn 1 to happen, so we need to look into what went wrong. It’s disappointing because it was a great chance to score points that our rivals capitalized on. I know it hasn’t been easy for the team, but these are the moments where we need to show resilience and try to find the positives: the car was fast, so let’s fight for the last three races and see what happens in the Constructors’ Championship.”
In Q1, Franco Colapinto also hit the barriers at Turn 3, with damage that could be repaired before the race. But things went worse in the race itself when the Argentine crashed heavily on Lap 32 against the outside wall at Arquibancadas. Adding insult to injury, the Safety Car was on track, and Franco Colapinto was simply trying to rejoin the pack after a pit stop. “I feel very sorry for the team; they did an amazing job getting my car back on track after the qualifying incident. I had stopped for a new set of intermediates, was pushing to warm up the tires, and lost the car on one of the big water streams on track. We still have three races left, and we’ll bounce back from this.”
Vowles: “Massive Work Before Heading to Las Vegas”
The impact of these incidents extends beyond the Interlagos weekend. Williams now faces a significant workload ahead of the last three races of 2024, fortunately separated by a two-week break. “We had three incredibly big accidents within a few hours of each other, and we have a huge amount of work to get back on track with spare parts before heading to Las Vegas in a few weeks,” admitted team principal James Vowles.
Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly’s podium finishes boosted Alpine from ninth to sixth in the Constructors’ standings, while Williams’ situation worsened considerably. Besides dropping to ninth, they now trail Racing Bulls by 27 points, a gap even greater than their season total of 17 points so far. It would be easy to throw in the towel and focus on the future, but James Vowles has pledged full commitment for the remaining races: “We need to go to every single weekend now and give it our all, while also keeping an eye on 2025 and 2026 because, as I’ve always said, that’s where we’ve truly set our goals. It’s about laying the right foundations as we move towards the changes in 2026.”
Damage Estimate and the Potential to Cash In on Franco Colapinto
Williams isn’t a team with the budget of the top competitors, and although the financial situation has improved since Dorilton Capital’s takeover, the damages from the Brazilian GP weekend could impact the 2025 budget. But how high is the economic toll from Interlagos? Alex Albon’s car, damaged extensively but particularly in the rear, is estimated at about €800,000. For Franco Colapinto’s car, with damage to the front, all suspensions, and the sidepods, the cost rises to nearly €1,500,000, totaling close to €2,300,000.
However, Franco Colapinto might also represent a financial boon for Williams. His strong performances in the first few races, replacing Logan Sargeant, have attracted attention from several teams, especially Red Bull. At Interlagos, there was reportedly a meeting between Chris Horner and Vowles to discuss the Argentine, with some sources even suggesting late interest in Carlos Sainz, who was signed by Williams earlier this summer. Franco Colapinto, who will be blocked next year by both the Spaniard and Albon, could end up at Racing Bulls, where only Yuki Tsunoda currently has a secure seat. The Argentine would replace Liam Lawson, a strong candidate for Sergio Perez’s increasingly precarious position. This move could bring Williams around €20 million, which would be very welcome for the British team’s finances.
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