IMAGO / Motorsport Images
Williams driver Alex Albon had a tough couple of weeks after the Australian GP. The British-Thai driver revealed on the most recent Team Torque episode on YouTube that after the race in Melbourne, he flew back home to Monaco, then to the UK for simulator duties, with a trip to Thailand before finally landing in Japan. The 28-year-old also revealed how this has had a massive impact on his body clock and sleep schedule.
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Summarizing the impact of such an extensive traveling schedule packed into such a short period, Albon said, “I look like the Grinch when I wake up.” Endless travel and jet lag are probably the biggest challenges F1 drivers face in the modern Grand Prix racing era.
Things aren’t going to ease up for the likes of Albon either. The sport will now travel to Shanghai for the return of the Chinese GP for the first time since 2019. Right after that, all the teams and drivers will fly across the globe to the United States for the Miami GP – adding to Albon’s jet lag issues exponentially.
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In hindsight, Albon’s rigorous schedule may have had a negative impact on his preparedness and sharpness during the Japanese GP. He never looked quite comfortable with the car, and a lap 1 incident with Daniel Ricciardo meant both drivers had to retire from the race.
Alex Albon gives Williams a massive repair job before the Chinese GP
Albon has suffered two costly race weekends in succession. First, during the Australian GP, the #23 driver binned his FW46 during the practice session. The damage to the chassis was so extensive that the team had to withdraw his car from the weekend owing to no spare chassis being available. The team, however, handed him the reigns of Sargeant’s car instead – a decision which met with a lot of backlash on social media.
Then, coming into the Japanese GP, Albon and the team knew that they still did not have a spare chassis and caution was paramount. Despite this, Albon’s lap 1 crash has damaged the right side of his chassis once again.
The damage endured means that the team will transport the chassis tub back to Grove for the mechanics to attempt a second repair job in just two weeks. This is crucial because if the team cannot get Albon’s car fixed, they might have to field only one car, once again, at the Chinese GP due to be held on the 21st of April.
