In the previous season, the FW45 car, piloted by Albon, faced challenges in various aspects, such as low-speed directional changes, braking, and handling in fast corners of longer duration. Despite these shortcomings, the team managed to advance from the bottom to seventh place in the constructors’ championship.
However, during the second day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, Albon expressed optimism regarding the improvements made by Williams to address the significant weaknesses observed in the previous year’s car.
On the first morning of testing, Albon completed 40 laps before encountering a fuel pump issue that halted his session. Meanwhile, his teammate Logan Sargeant achieved the fifth-fastest time in the afternoon session but had to cut short his stint due to a driveshaft problem.
Albon acknowledged that the 2024 car had brought about new challenges of its own. Despite encountering some issues, he expressed satisfaction with the overall feeling of the car, noting the progress made in resolving many of the problems from the previous year.
However, he also highlighted the emergence of new issues, particularly evident in certain corners of the Bahrain circuit, such as the challenging Turn 9 and 10 sequences.
Both Albon and Sargeant noted difficulties with the car’s balance, particularly in demanding sections like the downhill, off-camber turns at Bahrain. Albon suggested that Williams might not immediately excel in the upcoming races of the season but anticipated gradual progress.
Albon emphasized the need for time to understand and adapt to the new car’s dynamics, suggesting that the team might start the season at a slower pace (“jogging” rather than “running”).
However, he remained optimistic about the team’s ability to improve steadily and achieve competitive performances, aiming to secure points finishes in the early races of the season.
