Albon: Miami showed Williams true pace

Alex Albon suggested his result in the Miami Grand Prix is a true reflection of the pace Williams has this season.

The Thai-licensed driver finished 14th on Sunday while team-mate Logan Sargeant was a lap down in 20th and last after picking up damage to his front wing on the opening lap.

Albon had started the race 11th but suggests that’s something of a false positive and relates more to the performance of others than himself.

“We don’t have the pace, so we’re just trying to do different things,” he said.

“I do think we’re the ninth or 10th slowest car, that’s the reality of it – we’re just getting the most out of it most weekends.

“On a track where the tyres do get hot, where there is deg, exposes our weaknesses.

“[Sunday] was a really clear example.

“These kinds of circumstances normally suit us. We did a great job in qualifying and this was our true pace.”

Albon highlighted Turn 7, a left-hander which tightens on itself and is followed by a DRS zone, as a prime example of the car’s limitations.

“I was slow in the one place where you need to be to be quick, Turn 7,” he said.

“If you’re slow through there, you tend to just miss DRS and the car has it, so it’s bad timing.”

Tough home race for Sargeant

While Albon delivered an accurate picture of Williams’ current pace, team-mate Sargeant had its race compromised from the start.

The American was forced to pit early after picking up damage on his front wing before running the balance of the race on a single set of hard compound tyres.

“I think the start itself is okay,” he reflected.

“Put the car in a place I should have into that second sector and took my front wing off.

“That ruined the race from there.

“But I think 54 laps or whatever it was on the hard tyre, that last stint was not too bad.

“We were a bit conservative with the balance at the start so I just sort of persevere with that throughout that entire stint.

“But year, it sucks there was a mistake on the first lap that ruined out chances.”