Alex Albon will sit out the Brazilian Grand Prix after his crash in qualifying earlier today
Williams driver Alex Albon will not be racing in Brazil today after his big crash in qualifying earlier today. His teammate crashed in qualifying too, however, mechanics were able to fix Franco Colapinto‘s car just in time.
There were 5 red flags in qualifying today, with Williams causing two of those. It was a rather disappointing end to the session for them, as Albon provisionally held a front-row start just before he crashed.
As it happened
Qualifying for the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix was set to happen on Saturday afternoon. However, heavy and insistent rains led to Race Control postponing the session to this morning.
Drivers were ready to be on track as early as 7:30 am for Qualifying, with everyone eager for some on-track action.
As all had hoped, qualifying was able to take place as planned. However, with rain pouring shortly before the start of the session, the pressure really mounted on the drivers to get a lap out before the rain got too heavy.
The track was quite wet in Q1, with multiple drivers going off the track. Franco Colapinto was one of them, but unfortunately, he found his way into the barriers, bringing out the first red flag. The Argentine’s fastest time of the session was only good enough for P18, making the shunt even more impactful.
The other Williams driver, Alex Albon, drove his way to Q3, with the British-Thai driver even confidently speaking about his chance at getting pole on the team radio.
His fastest time of the session before his crash was strong, earning him P2. However, with his car being cleared by the marshalls fast enough for the session to be resumed, he dropped down the order as other set faster times.
A long weekend for mechanics
Members of every F1 team on the grid will without a doubt be feeling the effects of the delayed qualifying. However, the red flags seen in qualifying earlier today will have been a proper challenge for the respective mechanics. With qualifying being held on the same day as the race, the timing was ever so tight. Luckily though, it is only one of the five drivers who will not be able to get back on track.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz crashed in Q2. Meanwhile Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll also crashed, with Stroll going out in the same session as Alonso was the first to hit the barriers in Q3.
All 5 drivers that crashed in qualifying are okay, however, Albon appeared to have some discomfort in his wrist. His car sustained serious damage. The Williams mechanics were unable to repair the damage in time for the race which was pushed back to start earlier today.
Williams will be counting on Franco Colapinto to gather important data, and if possible, to score points. It will be a difficult feat for the young Argentine, however, he has proven that he is a strong driver, and may well deliver at least a point today.
With Max Verstappen’s 5-place grid penalty, Colapinto who had qualified in P18 will start the race higher up. The Argentine will start the race in P16, just ahead of the Dutchman.
Will Franco Colapinto be able to deliver points for Williams at the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix?
