After a rollercoaster of a season, Williams driver Alex Albon has reflected on the team’s “last hurrah” in a tricky Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as they switch focus to progressing forward in 2025.
In his final competitive outing of the year, Albon crossed the line in 11th and came agonisingly close to scoring a point after a difficult run of races that cemented the Grove outfit in ninth in the constructors’ standings.
A series of heavy crashes and a distinct lack of upgrades in the latter part of the season meant the team were forced to run some parts from much earlier in the year, restricting their performance around the Yas Marina Circuit.
Both drivers also started the race with a five-place grid penalty after exceeding the allocation of gearbox components, but Albon was able to charge through the field, missing out on P10 to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in the final laps.
Albon last finished in the points in Round 17 in Azerbaijan
“We were working on a bad floor, an old engine – kind of the last hurrah, let’s say, this weekend,” Albon said after the race. “We were looking okay, I thought it was on. 20 laps to go I thought ‘this is going to be tough, but we might be able to do this’.
“Honestly, the tyres held on but the temperature didn’t. With the track cooling down, I basically couldn’t drive quick enough to keep the temperature in the tyres. In the last 10 laps, the tyres got colder and colder and I died.
“It was a very tough race, also physically just trying to keep the car on the track, but it was good fun. I think it would have been lovely to finish this year on a high after such a tough last part of the season to reward the team. It wasn’t meant to be, but I think we can take satisfaction from that race.”
As Williams now prepare to welcome Carlos Sainz into the team, with the Spaniard taking part in the post-season test in the FW46, Albon appeared optimistic that they can take a significant step forwards next season.
Sainz drove for Williams in the end-of-season test in Abu Dhabi
He added: “I see it two ways. I’m here for the long-term success, not the short-term, so I hope it’s going to reward us. I hope we have a better car next year, starting strong in Melbourne. That’s the goal.”
On the other side of the garage, it was an underwhelming final race for Franco Colapinto, who was drafted in to replace Logan Sargeant mid-season. He was tagged by Piastri, which left him with a puncture, and a subsequent power unit issue led to him retiring from the race.
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“It wasn’t a good day,” the 21-year-old said. “It was not the way I wanted to finish these first couple of races in Formula 1 but I think it’s part of the journey.
“I’m still very grateful to Williams for the opportunity, to James [Vowles] for the trust to put me in the car. I did enjoy this experience a lot, so very grateful to the team – they are a great family and they have been putting in great work to give me the best car possible race after race. Just very happy for the opportunity, and hopefully I can come back in the future.”