Williams hope to break curse in Monaco

Williams hope that they can display a better performance on the narrow streets of Monaco after previous years saw the Grove-based outfit struggle for pace in the Principality.

Williams have arrived in Monaco after a difficult race weekend in Imola. The team failed to score points in Italy, having struggles for pace all through the weekend.

Speaking of the challenges of the Monaco street track, Williams sporting director Sven Smeets said: “After a disappointing weekend in Imola, we are looking forward to racing again in Monaco. It’s a unique track where any small mistake is punished immediately, but when all the pieces come together, a lap around Monaco gives you a very rewarding feeling.

“As it’s so hard to overtake on this track, it is very important to get the best out of the car in Qualifying. Therefore, the focus for the Free Practice sessions will be getting the right balance between Qualifying and race-pace while building driver confidence.

“The tyre compounds will be the softest in the Pirelli range, similar to the last race in Imola. The weather forecast predicts unstable conditions over the three days, which will make it difficult to get everything right across all sessions, but also opens opportunities to be better than our direct opponents in the midfield.”

Williams have struggled for pace in Monaco in recent years. The Grove-based outfit has failed to score points since 2017 with Felipe Massa having been the last Williams driver to score in Monte Carlo.

The British outfit’s British driver Alexander Albon hopes that his team can turn its fortunes around in Monaco after Williams have been eager to make their F1 car more of an all-rounder.

“As we head to Monaco this week as part of the doubleheader, I’m really looking forward to driving on this iconic track again and it’s always exciting when the race is on your doorstep.

“Monaco has always been a track that our car has struggled with, so I’m interested to see how the FW46 performs given our change in characteristics to make it more versatile across different tracks. Monaco is always interesting with the weather being unpredictable, as well as overtaking being a challenge, so it should make for an interesting weekend,” Albon said.

Speaking of the challenges of the Monaco street track, Logan Sargeant added: It’s always special to race around the streets of Monaco. The track is incredibly narrow, leaving no margin for error, so it’s crucial to build up confidence during the Free Practice sessions.

“Securing track position is key with it being difficult to overtake, making Qualifying in Monaco one of the most important of the season. We’ll be looking to take advantage of any opportunities as a team.”