Williams was expected to be a strong contender in Monaco, and practice suggested that might be the case with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz sixth and eighth respectively in the crucial FP3 session.
However come qualifying things fell apart a little, and after a spectacular P3 in Q2 Albon could manage only 10th when it mattered in Q3. Sainz was even worse off, failing to progress to the final session in 11th place.
Rivals Racing Bulls, Aston Martin and Haas all have at least one car ahead on the grid.
Williams perhaps made its life difficult by swapping to and from the medium C5 tyre in Q2, which meant the drivers had a car that behaved differently from run to run – with Sainz suggesting that there was “black magic” involved in getting it right with the tyres.
It was particularly hard for Sainz, who having made good progress in recent races didn’t feel confident from Friday onwards in Monaco.
“I think my weekend has just been, honestly, a bit off from the get-go,” said the Spaniard when I asked him about it.
“Never getting to feel well and confident with a car around the street track. A bit disappointed, because all the progress that I’ve done with setup and with my driving, I felt like the moment I went to a street track I went back seven races, and I was still learning too many new things about this car in a street track.
“And we had to play a lot with setup, which in Monaco is not ideal, because you feel a different car every time you go out. Never really got into a very good rhythm this weekend.”
Despite that he still believed that he would make it into the top 10.
“Even with all this lack of rhythm, lack of pace, lack of confidence with the car, I felt like I had plenty of pace to go into Q3 this weekend,” he said.
“Q1 we had a solid run. Q2, the moment we started playing with mediums and softs, that’s when your lack of experience, or lack of lack of feeling with the car, starts to show up.
“And I lost my rhythm, I lost my confidence, and I had a terrible last lap on soft I was, sliding all over the place. So definitely something to look into.
“Because also looking at Alex, just now in Q3 he managed to do a mega lap in Q2 but in Q3 he was again, nowhere. So there must be some black magic there that we haven’t maybe understood fully with the tyres.”
Switching to mediums worked well for Aston Martin in Imola and even in Q2 in Monaco (Alonso had none left so returned to C6 softs in Q3), but it clearly is not straightforward. So has Williams learned a lesson not to mix and match next time the C6 is in play?
“Yeah, maybe it’s a good point,” said Sainz. “That maybe Q2, given it’s our most important session, whatever the tyre is, you just keep it consistent to make sure you nail the lap.
“If there is something, it’s a tenth between the two compounds, and that last tenth, I feel like, in Williams this year, we have that tenth of margin to go to Q3, and today I didn’t never really put a lap, a good enough lap. But it’s a good point, a fair point.
“We’ll analyse that what I’m more concerned or what I’m more disappointed with this weekend, is with my understanding, confidence. Set up changes with the car have been way too much, and I’ve never really felt the car underneath me, which puts us some homework before the next street track, whenever that is.”
Sainz remains confident that he can have a strong race on Sunday.
“Honestly, I have the feeling in the race I’ll be quick, yesterday in the long run, I was quick. So I hope I’m putting pressure in everyone in front of me, and we can use this two-stop strategy.
“I feel like the car with higher fuel, bit less reactive, everything calms down, and I am more confident. And I’m pretty sure tomorrow I’ll be on the pace, and put the pressure on everyone around me.”
In the middle of the pack Williams also has to keep an eye on those behind who make early stops.
“Yeah, but tomorrow’s a day to look forward,” said Sainz. “I mean, obviously, keep an eye behind. But I think tomorrow the target needs to be getting the points and to be the ones on the attack, because I think I am a bit out of position from where I think I could be this weekend.”
Adam Cooper F1 