Williams driver Alexander Albon and Logan Sargeant seem to be looking forward to the 2024 season with confidence. Williams presented the FW46 to the public in New York, where the color scheme was not very surprising, but otherwise the British team has made many changes.
Albon was still good for 27 of Williams’ 28 points in 2023, and responded jokingly to the team’s new livery. ‘It was to be expected that he would be blue. If he hadn’t been blue, I would have been worried,” laughs the British Thai, who indicates that he feels at home with the team. ‘I now have a bit more self-confidence, and experience always helps a lot. I now know the team better, and that benefits the collaboration.’
Major change in driving style expected
‘In the first year you have to get to know the team and understand the car better. This will improve in the second year, and hopefully this will now be continued. We have things we can improve. There are always opportunities to improve, and we need to understand the new car quickly. There will be a big difference in driving style,” Albon predicts about his new battle weapon at the team’s presentation.
“Until we hit the asphalt in Bahrain, we don’t know exactly how we are doing, but it feels like a good car to drive,” says Max Verstappen’s former teammate. ‘Every team will take a big step. Everyone mentions numbers and says how much downforce they have found since last year. It’s all relative, so we’ll see how we did compared to the rest. In any case, we have done a good job, but I don’t want to make a big mouth here,” laughs Albon.
Sargeant expects improvement
Sargeant made his debut with Williams in 2023, but only captured one point, losing out to Albon in every qualification. He is therefore mainly concerned with personal improvement. ‘The fact that I have now had a year behind me makes a big difference. I now have a reference point everywhere, no matter which track I travel to, and that is a huge advantage in my second year. Alex already indicated that this car will be very different from last year’s. It will be important to start working on this immediately,” says the American.
“The winter break was important to ensure that I am in good shape physically, mentally and emotionally,” Sargeant continues. ‘I had time to look back on last season and see how I could have done better. This way I can take the step that I know I can take. In terms of driving style, I will have to adapt to this car. We have already started doing that in the simulator, and the car feels nicer to drive.’
