Williams driver Alexander Albon finished outside of the points in Montreal, but after delivering the move of the season
Sunday’s Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix delivered perhaps the best race of the season. A combination of wet weather, differing tire strategies, and some mistakes from a few different drivers and teams led to a thrilling Sunday afternoon in Montreal.
And perhaps the overtake of the season.
Just ahead of the midway point in Sunday’s race, and still in wet conditions, Alexander Albon picked off not one, but two drivers with a stunning overtake down Casino Straight, heading into the final chicane near the “Wall of Champions.” This double move has to be seen to be believed:
Albon comes up behind Daniel Ricciardo, and slides to the outside of the Visa Cash App RB F1 Team driver to take the first position. But then he comes right up on Esteban Ocon, who as Jolyon Palmer notes in the above video is driving on a set of used tires. With just inches to spare, Albon jumps back to the inside of Ocon — and ahead of Ricciardo — and makes the overtake of Ocon stick heading into the final chicane and near the Wall of Champions.
An absolutely incredible move, especially in those tricky conditions.
Unfortunately, that would be the highlight of Albon’s day. In the closing stages he was trailing Carlos Sainz Jr. when the Ferrari driver spun off the track, and then backed into the racing line. Albon had nowhere to go, and the ensuing collision knocked him out of the race:
Sainz immediately apologized over the radio to Ferrari, but it was little solace for Albon, who was seeking a points finish in the second-straight race.
“A disappointing end to our race today. Points were definitely on the table and the car felt good on all compounds in the changing conditions. We didn’t take any unnecessary risks and the race plan was well-executed by the team,” said Albon in Williams’ post-race report. “It was a battle of survival, which was always going to be the case considering the weather, and we ended up getting caught in other people’s errors. That’s racing and I don’t think I could’ve done anything differently.”
On the bright side, that double overtake might stand as the move of the season when the 2024 F1 campaign comes to a close.
