Williams team principal Vowles reflects on disastrous Brazil Grand Prix
SAO PAULO — Williams team principal James Vowles expressed his dismay after the team suffered three significant crashes during the Brazil Grand Prix, resulting in a drop in the constructors' world championship standings.
Both Franco Colapinto and Alex Albon crashed during qualifying at Interlagos, with Albon's crash rendering his car irreparable in time for the race. Colapinto, an Argentine rookie, further compounded the situation by crashing again during the race, which led to red flags.
The crashes came at a considerable cost as Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly secured second and third place in the rain-affected race, causing Williams to slip to ninth in the standings. They now trail eighth-placed Red Bull by 27 points with three rounds remaining.
"The nature of Formula One is that you can have some of the most incredible feelings and results, as well as some of the lowest moments that you can feel within a sport. I think it's fair to say this weekend is the second of those two," Vowles said. "We've had three incredibly large crashes in just a few hours from one another and have a tremendous amount of work to get ourselves back on top of our spares situation before we go to Las Vegas in just a few weeks' time."
Vowles stressed the importance of learning from the difficult experience, stating he watched the race through to the end to ensure these moments do not define the team's future.
Albon reflected on the recent challenges, remarking that the unexpected incident in Turn One was particularly disappointing, given the team's potential to score points in such unpredictable conditions.
"It's disappointing as it would've been a great opportunity to score points, as we knew coming to Brazil there is always a chance for crazy races, however it's our competitors who've been able to capitalise on this," Albon said.
The team now faces the challenge of rebuilding their cars and spirits as they prepare for the upcoming race in Las Vegas.
Formula 1 Race results /standings Formula 1 Race schedule F1 TV: Watch every race of the 2024 Formula 1 Grand Prix season live Watch Formula 1 in ESPN networks all season long