Williams reliability crisis deepens as Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon prepare for critical tests
Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon are set for a tough weekend ahead at Silverstone. Reliability problems have struck Williams, and the team is apparently working overtime to find solutions. Both drivers have shared their understandings of why such issues have occurred.
Carlos Sainz could not even start the race in Austria after his rear brakes caught on fire during the formation lap. This was down to a suspected mechanical issue. Alex Albon also retired midway through the race with an engine issue. This was his third DNF in a row.
Speaking to the media ahead of the British GP, Sainz explained that Williams is concerned about recurring reliability issues.
“Obviously, there’s a certain level of concern within the team of having so many reliability issues, three in a row, Alex and the brake issue with me,” said Sainz. [via Motorsport.com]
Sainz shared that the brake issue on his car seems to be resolved and should not reoccur. The Spaniard also added that the team is continuously working on solving the problems on Albon’s FW47.
“The issue on Alex’s car that has happened a few in a row now is something that obviously we are trying to solve and trying to understand and for that we are doing everything we can to understand it this weekend because it’s a very very strange issue that only happens on race day.”
Speaking prior to the British GP, Alex Albon also shared his thoughts on the reliability issues suffered by him in the last three races.
“Firstly, we need to understand why we’ve had so many DNFs. It’s a recurring issue. We have some tests to try to understand where it’s coming from. We’ll change our own plan and try to get to the bottom of it, but it’s not totally solved yet.” said Albon.
The Thai driver claimed that he is only looking to finish the race at Silverstone as a stepping stone.
Carlos Sainz shares positives for Williams after Austrian GP
Carlos Sainz has claimed that Williams look to have a very strong and quick car in 2025. The Spaniard claims that they would have finished in front of all the midfield runners in Austria, even though he started from P19.
Speaking ahead of round 12 of the 2025 F1 season at Silverstone, Sainz shared that the Williams car is actually pretty quick, if they can keep it running for the whole race.
“I think one thing that is keeping us calm and encouraged is that the speed of the car is there,” said Sainz.
“I’m very confident we could have won the midfield battle in Austria even almost starting from the back with the pace we had and yeah every race, we are actually very quick and we have a very competitive car. But we just need to obviously start putting things together.” he added.
The pace of the Williams car in 2025 is undeniable. Albon had managed to secure seven top-10 finishes this year, before going three races without finishing. This also included three P5 finishes. Williams consistently look like the fifth quickest team on the grid this year, when they can finish a race.
