Williams saw both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz Jr. push into Q3 to start the 2025 F1 season
Yuki Tsunoda’s “magical lap” that ended in the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls driver qualifying fifth for the Australian Grand Prix was one of the first big surprises of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
The driver who will start alongside him delivered another.
Alexander Albon put his Williams FW47 on the third row after a strong qualifying performance, and he will start the Australian Grand Prix in sixth. Adding to the “good vibes” at Williams? Albon’s new teammate, Carlos Sainz Jr., also advanced into Q3 on Saturday in Melbourne and will start tenth.
“We were aiming for top ten, so P6 is fantastic and I’m very happy,” began Albon in the team’s post-qualifying report. “We have a great car, easy to drive, predictable; it feels like a much more driveable car this year. It’s really tight out there and it’s going to be a dogfight in the midfield this year, but this is a great place for us to start.
“It also feels like Qualifying is not even the best bit of the car; where we’ve made the biggest improvement is the race pace,” added Albon. “We’ve done some big things back at Grove. We have paid attention to this year, we are starting on the right weight and we are in a much healthier place than we were this time last year.
“When I look at where we were a year ago up to now, we’re in a completely different position. I’m very proud of the team today and there are good vibes.”
Sainz described his qualifying run, his first with Williams, as a big “scrappy” but shared Albon’s upbeat assessment.
“First of all, I’m very happy for the entire team, for Alex and for myself. It’s my first Qualifying with Williams and we have achieved our main objective of getting into Q3 with both cars,” began Sainz. “The hard work that everyone has done during the winter has paid off with a great step forward and I’m proud of the team.
“On my side, I had a bit of a scrappy Qualifying to be honest. However, I’m not concerned. There are many things that I still need to understand from this car and I’m sure better laps will come soon!”
Williams Team Principal James Vowles hailed what he called a “fantastic” day for the entire team.
“What a fantastic day for the team. I’m really pleased for Alex, he put in a really great lap out there and delivered when it mattered. I’m disappointed for Carlos – we know there is more in it but ultimately, we weren’t clean on execution,” said Vowles. “The great news is it’s a good place to start, the weather coming in tomorrow will provide plenty of opportunity and the team has renewed energy.”
As for the weather — forecasts are calling for storms and rain on Sunday — both Albon and Sainz believe the wet conditions could bring even more opportunities for the team in the Australian Grand Prix.
“We’re expecting rain tomorrow and nobody has done a lap on the Intermediate or Wet tire so let’s see what happens,” said Albon.
“Tomorrow, under rain, I will also have to adapt quickly but I’m excited about the race,” said Sainz. “We will try to maximize every opportunity.
“This is only the beginning!”
