Albon: 'I think Verstappen will be past within a few laps'

Alexander Albon drove a very strong qualifying session at Spa-Francorchamps, resulting in his best starting position of 2022 so far. The Williams driver is keen to hold on to that, but he expects to see his former teammate Max Verstappen in his mirrors soon.

Speaking to the Viaplay camera, Albon said he was very happy with his best qualifying result of 2022 so far. "It was really good, we had a really good day. We made some important changes from FP3 and we made the car better for sure," said the Thai driver.

Albon is also driving with an update package, which also contributes to Williams' improved performance. "The stars aligned a little bit. We were hoping for Q2, but Q3 is a nice surprise," he continues. What's more, he gains a few places due to other drivers' grid penalties.

Verstappen will start far behind Albon from P15, but his former teammate expects to run into him soon during the race. "From the look of Max's pace, I think he'll be past within a few laps," the former Red Bull Racing driver laughed. The goal for Albon is to hold on to sixth place for as long as possible and stay in the points.