On the opening lap, Albon was hit by RB’s poor-starting Daniel Ricciardo in Flip 3, initially of the Esses.
The glancing blow despatched each automobiles into the tyre obstacles, which needed to be repaired throughout the next 30-minute purple flag interruption.
Whereas the accident occurred at comparatively low speeds, one other crash was the very last thing Williams wanted.
The staff nonetheless has no spare chassis obtainable, which made Logan Sargeant sit out the Australian Grand Prix after Albon broken his chassis in a follow shunt and took over his team-mate’s automotive.
Sargeant returned for Japan with the repaired chassis and escaped additional drama when he crashed in FP1.
One other shunt within the race for Albon additional places the squeeze on Williams by way of spare components manufacturing and the Thai driver mentioned the considered damaging his chassis went by his thoughts even earlier than he hit the wall.
“Instantly. Earlier than I even hit the wall,” he replied when requested when the spare chassis state of affairs performed on his thoughts.
“It is precisely what we do not want. The affect itself was comparatively low speeds, however it’s the best way that I hit the tyre wall. Usually, we now have this type of plastic obstacles, the Armco. However this was far more dug in and it actually stops very violently.
“They’re the questions I am anxious about, not for me, [but] for the automotive, as a result of that is the place you are able to do injury.
Marshals help after a crash between Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Group VCARB 01, Alex Albon, Williams FW46, initially
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photographs
“We have not had the automotive again but. We have to assess it, hopefully it is okay.”
When requested for his view of what occurred, Albon mentioned he was attempting to again off as soon as he realised he was in Ricciardo’s blind spot, however could not assist avoiding the contact.
“I had a grip benefit [on soft tyres], form of shocked [with] the grip I had out of [Turn] 2, and was capable of pull beneath him and have run into 3,” Albon defined.
“Extra about simply attempting to get him slightly bit off line [at Turn] 3 and attempt to discover a manner for 4, 5, 6, 7 – to see if I may upset his line slightly bit.
“Clearly simply one in all them. He did not see me, clearly. I attempted to again out of it final minute.
“There was a second the place I realised he hadn’t seen me right here, the best way he is pulling throughout, so I hit the brakes and tried to get out of it.
“However I used to be nearly too far alongside him and he nonetheless was coming throughout, I could not keep away from it.”
With no spare automotive obtainable till Miami, Williams is constant to stroll on eggshells whereas its pool of spare components dwindles.
“It is no secret that we’re having a tricky time with it in the intervening time with the components we have,” Albon acknowledged. That is going to harm us for positive.”
