2023-11-08 10:02:04
Alex Albon has regretted starting ‘number one’ among the F1 field which led to his crash with Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen on the first lap of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Albon expected the Haas F1 team’s pace to slow down in the 71-lap race, so he quickly tried to get rid of the Haas drivers, who had started the race just in front of Williams.
Albon had a great kick off the line and immediately put pressure on Hulkenberg from the right side as he entered the first corner, trying to pass him. However, Hulkenberg was strangled on the left side by teammate Magnussen, which inevitably led to contact between the trio. Albon and Magnussen immediately retired from the race due to the damage they sustained in the collision, but Hulkenberg was forced to continue as his car was repaired during the red flag suspension. Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo sustained damage to their rear wings in the melee, but after repairs were made under red flag conditions they were able to continue, albeit a lap down. Asked about the incident that ended his race, Albon said: “Mexico, yesterday and today’s sprint race, the last three races, I’ve been number one at the start.” “Three races in a row we’ve had a very good start. Sometimes it goes well, like in Mexico, and sometimes it works against you, like what happened here today. “It’s frustrating. We could have done things differently. I was as far to the right as I could be. I think Haas on the left was blind and crossed a little bit and squeezed Haas in the middle. That was it. “I mean, it happens all the time. Just unlucky. Good start. “I mean, it happens, but it’s just a shame. I’m just frustrated that I got a good start without doing anything.”The Williams driver continued. Ta. AlphaTauri were now seven points behind the British team in the Constructors’ Championship, and gaining points in Brazil was becoming increasingly important for the team. Albon has scored 27 of Williams’ 28 points so far. Speaking about the need to quickly overtake the Haas F1 Team, Albon said: “They would have been a backstop, they would have been a traffic maker. I had a good chance of getting it.” “It was only 100 meters, but in the 100 meters it seemed like we were going in the right direction.” “I don’t know if we would have gotten points. It’s about making the most of what you haven’t won. So if I don’t get points, I was thinking of holding off the right people,” Hulkenberg said after Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez in Qatar last month. Compare with similar events. “I think they were both attracted to me and tried to kiss me,” Hulkenberg joked about what happened on the first lap with Albon and Magnussen. “Honestly, it was very similar to Qatar and it was like déjà vu for me. Alex was on my right and Kevin was coming closer as the corner went to the left. I think we paid the price in the end.” “There was some minor damage to the car, but we were able to repair it during the red flag suspension. But the soft tires were definitely the best tires, so they were very useful today. It was a shame to lose a new set of soft tires that would have been great. Yeah, it wasn’t great.”
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