First, Logan Sargeant’s crash during FP3, and now Alexander Albon is at risk of disqualification after qualifying: it’s a nightmare weekend for Williams in the Netherlands!
Right after the end of qualifying, where Alexander Albon secured his best starting position of the season with the eighth fastest time in his Williams in the Netherlands, the Thai-flagged driver now appears to be at risk of disqualification. The reason? The new floor analyzed by the FIA could be in violation of the technical regulations.
In addition to McLaren and Mercedes, Williams also brought its second package of updates for the season to the Zandvoort circuit, which included a “completely updated” floor with a totally new and revised geometry. However, following a technical inspection after today’s qualifying, the legality of car number 23 has been questioned, and some team representatives are reportedly in discussions with the stewards.
“There’s no end to the worst,” someone might say, and that’s exactly what is happening to Williams during the first Formula 1 event back from the summer break. First, the terrible crash involving Logan Sargeant, from which the driver emerged unscathed but with significant damage to the car; and now, the risk of disqualification for Albon.
Jo Bauer, FIA Technical Delegate, stated that “the floor’s undertray was found to be outside the regulatory volume specified in Article 3.5.1 (a)” of the technical regulations. Albon’s Williams may have violated the V-FLOOR-BODY component, which refers to the lower part that does not include the more advanced deflectors for directing the dirty air from the front tires and some elements of the outer section.
UPDATE – Confirmation has arrived: Alexander Albon has been disqualified from the qualifying session of the Dutch Grand Prix. James Volwes’ team has published a statement on social media expressing their disappointment regarding the incident and hinting at a possible appeal:Unfortunately, Alex has been disqualified from Qualifying today due to his floor body being outside the regulatory volume set by the FIA. We are incredibly disappointed with this outcome and will be carrying out a thorough investigation and will provide an update soon.“.
Photo: Williams Racing, Formula 1
