Albon on Monza: 'Have to be realistic, Spa was a wake-up call'

After the Williams team performed very well at Zandvoort, expectations are high for the race in Italy. The Monza circuit is known as a high-speed circuit, a type of track that usually suits the Williams' characteristics well. Alexander Albon agrees, but says the team must remain realistic.

In 2022, the Williams performed very well at Monza. Albon dropped out at the time due to appendicitis, after which Nyck de Vries was allowed to make his Formula 1 debut. The Dutchman finished directly in the points in his first appearance. Albon knows this too, and he expects the Williams to be competitive again this year, perhaps even more competitive than last year.

'After Zandvoort high expectations, but must remain realistic'

Albon comments: "Relative to last year, yes. I do think we've just had a more competitive car at every track we've been to. But let's see. Obviously, coming from Zandvoort especially, the expectations are quite high from everyone this weekend, but we have to be realistic." The British Thai qualified in an excellent fourth place at Zandvoort. In the end, he finished eighth in the race.

The Zandvoort circuit is not usually the type of track that should suit the Williams well, but still the team went home with points. Monza is a track where the car has fared much better in recent years. Albon knows this, but still tempers expectations somewhat. "I think Spa was a bit of a wake-up call for us. We were not as quick as we thought we would be on a track that's quite similar to here. So let's not speak too much until FP1, and we can start to figure out where the car's at and our pace," said the Williams driver.