Albon confirmed large promise in free follow for the race in Mexico Metropolis after finishing FP3 less than a tenth behind pacesetter Max Verstappen.
However Albon and team-mate Logan Sargeant each struggled in qualifying after experiencing a shift of their automobile’s dealing with, with Albon even suggesting the automobile had developed a problem.
The Anglo-Thai nonetheless managed to salvage a Q3 spot in ninth however was demoted to a 14th beginning place after seeing his fastest Q2 time deleted for exceeding track limits.
Albon felt the decision was marginal after seeing replays his Williams staff supervisor Dave Redding was given within the stewards’ workplace.
“I do not assume it was off. I spoke to Dave. They confirmed him an exterior view of the shot of me in Flip 2 and my rear tyres nonetheless appear like they’re on the white line.,” Albon mentioned.
“Possibly I am improper and I would clearly prefer to be improper as a result of it could make me much less pissed off. However I hope in a bizarre means, I did have observe limits. However from what I noticed, I did not.”
He later added: “The snapshot they did of me, my automobile is midway within the air. Technically, I am not [exceeding] observe limits as a result of my 4 wheels are off the bottom.
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Alex Albon, Williams Racing
“Even the snapshot they’ve, my rear tyre is on the white a part of the kerb, so you’ll be able to’t even inform what is the white line or what is the kerb. I do not understand how they will decide like that.”
However Albon was much more pissed off at Williams’ drop in efficiency in comparison with Saturday morning after the staff was surprisingly aggressive all through the weekend.
“I feel extra irritating than that was simply the shortage of tempo,” he added. “Nearly 4 or five-tenths slower than I did in FP3.
“I misplaced a whole lot of grip on the market. The opposite drivers struggled however for me, it was from Flip 1 missing rear grip. After which as you just like the rear grip, it escalates since you begin sliding extra after which the tyres develop into uncontrolled.
“My laps had been truly extra like race laps, I had to take action a lot tyre administration by way of my qualifying laps simply to maintain the rears alive for sector three.
“So, that is one thing we have to overview as a result of it was the identical final 12 months, it was the identical in FP1 and FP2 yesterday and it is taking place once more.”
Head of Car Efficiency Dave Robson was additionally at a loss to elucidate his staff’s drop of type from one session to the subsequent.
“Regardless of solely minor adjustments to the circumstances and the setup, we had a really totally different efficiency between the 2 classes,” he defined.
“The efficiency was sturdy in FP3 however in qualifying each drivers struggled to search out the identical degree of grip. We have to perceive what occurred between FP3 and qualifying.”
Aditional reporting by Adam Cooper