Williams Duo Eye Strategic Edge in Miami After Strong… Read More
Williams drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz are optimistic about their chances at the Miami Grand Prix after securing the team’s best qualifying result of the 2025 season. Sainz qualified sixth, with Albon lining up seventh, marking the first time this year that both Williams cars will start inside the top seven on the grid.
With rain potentially affecting Sunday’s race, Albon emphasized the advantage of having both team cars starting side-by-side, noting that this opens up opportunities for strategic collaboration. “It’s going to be interesting. The good thing is we’ve got both cars next to each other, so we can play with strategies,” said Albon. “It’ll likely be a one-stop race, but the weather could change things. It will be hard to keep the Ferraris behind, but I’m ready for the challenge.”
The Williams duo has already demonstrated their ability to work together on track. In the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Sainz tactically allowed Albon to use DRS by dropping behind him, which helped fend off a late charge from Isack Hadjar. The two drivers have shown promising teamwork despite this being their first season as teammates.
Saturday’s Sprint race in Miami featured mixed weather conditions, with Albon finishing fourth on the road in a chaotic wet-dry session. However, he was later penalized for failing to stay above the minimum time during Safety Car conditions, which saw him demoted to 11th. Sainz had an even tougher outing, hitting the barrier and retiring from the race after limping back to the pits.
Nevertheless, the Spaniard rebounded impressively in Qualifying, delivering what he described as his best lap since joining Williams. “We pressed the reset button really well for this quali,” Sainz said. “It was honestly my best lap in a Williams – only three tenths off pole. It must have been a really good job because being that close to pole is no easy feat. I’m very proud and happy with the result.”
Looking ahead to race day, Sainz stressed the importance of replicating their clean qualifying performance. “Whatever comes, I think I will be on the pace. It’s just a matter of putting everything together – operationally and in terms of driving. We managed that in qualifying, and the performance showed. Now we just need to do it again.”
With a strong starting position and the potential for rain, Williams will be aiming to capitalize on every opportunity to score big poi
nts in Miami.
