Spa should play to the strengths of the FW46, hopes Williams

Following a series of difficult weekends, Williams hopes that the fast Spa-Francorchamps circuit will play to the strengths of its 2024 Formula One car, the FW46.

Alexander Albon had an unlucky race at the Hungaroring as he was caught in traffic. It prompted Williams to call Albon in early for his first stop only to pick up more traffic after his tyre change. Add in a slow second stop, and he was last – doing well to climb back to P14.

The London-born Thai driver pins hopes on the fast and daunting Spa-Francorchamps track that should play to the strengths of Williams' FW46.

"As we come to the last round before the summer break, it’s obviously been a tough season so far, but we’ve learned a lot, understanding the car characteristics more, which we’ll look to apply for the remainder of the season and beyond.

"For Spa, I’m looking forward to racing on a track that I love and one that should suit our car better. Being in the forest, the weather always makes things interesting, and it should be slightly cooler which always helps us with tyre management, something we struggled with last year. Hopefully, we can enter the summer break on a good note and make the most of the opportunities that arise.

His team-mate Logan Sargeant set the second-fastest race lap at the Hungaroring, but he never looked to be a contender for points in Mogyoród.

"I’m looking forward to heading to Spa before the summer break. We’ll need to build on the momentum from the previous two rounds to be able to round out this triple header on a positive note.

"The weather is always a factor this time of year in Spa which can present opportunities. In the past, this track has suited our car better than some other circuits, so it will be interesting to see how the characteristics of the FW46 perform around there with the midfield battle so tight.

Expanding on the forthcoming Belgian Grand Prix, Williams Sporting Director Sven Smeets highlighted the difficulties that are usually presented by the changeable weather conditions. For this weekend, the forecast says that Friday and Saturday might take place in changeable conditions while more stable, dry weather is expected for race day.

"We’re looking forward to returning to Belgium as it's one of the best tracks in the calendar. Spa has it all, from long straits, to highspeed corner sequences and low-speed chicanes.

"The weather forecast predicts mixed conditions until Saturday which will make Qualifying even more interesting, whereas on Sunday the weather is expected to settle for a dry race.

"This is the last race before the summer shutdown, and we will be looking to finishing the first half on a good note with some points on the board, as this track should suit our car," concluded Smeets.