It was a mixed day for Williams F1 Team, as they aim to score a few more points in round sixteen of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship at the Italian Grand Prix. The British team suffered a massive blow early in the day as they learnt Alex Albon would be unavailable for the day and the rest of the weekend after being diagnosed with appendicitis; however, this unfortunate circumstance meant that former Formula 2 and Formula E champion, Nyck de Vries got his first opportunity to race in Formula 1.
Nicholas Latifi failed to show the cars potential and got knocked out in the first part of qualifying, after his lap was a marginal amount slower than his temporary team-mate. De Vries impressed on his F1 qualifying debut, beating his team-mate and finishing thirteenth.
De Vries was happy with his first qualifying session but admits he could have been starting higher up the grid without his mistake during Q2.
“First, I just want to say I feel bad for Alex and hope that his health and recovery will be quick. Nevertheless, it was a great opportunity for myself, however it’s challenging to just jump in like that. Overall, I’m happy with how it went but definitely feel there was more in it.
“Unfortunately, I picked up a lot of rear locking in my lap, but generally it was a positive session. With the grid penalties, it’s positive to be starting further up the grid – I have some homework to do tonight but it’s great to get the call up.“
Nicholas Latifi: “It’s frustrating but I’m where I expected to be as a result”
Latifi didn’t have the session he wanted and he still looks like he will struggle to find a seat in Formula 1 next season. The Canadian was out-qualified by De Vries, with the latter only having one practice session with the car.
However, despite the result Latifi hopes the team can benefit from the grid penalties and he can potentially score his first points of the season.
“Firstly, I’m wishing Alex a quick recovery and hope to see him back soon. I locked up into the first corner and didn’t get a lap on my second set of tyres. It’s frustrating but I’m where I expected to be as a result. It’s one of the trickiest corners for our car.
“Looking ahead to tomorrow, we’re quick in a straight line but we’ll lose time gained in the corners, so it’s going to be about how that balances out. We’ll be starting further forward due to a few penalties, so we’ll see what happens.“
