Williams resolved engine cooling problems

In the final stage in Bahrain, Williams had problems with the cooling of the power plant, meaning that Alex Albon and Logan Sargent could not compete for the points. The British team claims these issues have been resolved by the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Dave Robson, chief race engineer: “Last week we had some problems in Bahrain, including problems with the cooling of the power unit and problems with the steering. The team used the few days leading up to Jeddah to solve them – we go into the next race with more confidence in the FW46.

In Bahrain the battle in the middle group was very fierce, so it will be interesting to see what the picture will look like in Saudi Arabia on a very different type of track. Jeddah has a fast and smooth circuit, so the riders and equipment will face different challenges than Sakhir.

Pirelli will introduce medium-stiffness tires from its range of rubber compounds, which will be a significant change from last week. It is very likely that all teams will see their downforce reduced, which could affect the balance of power in the race in the middle group.”

Alex Albon: “After a disappointing first race we are ready to come back and give our best this weekend. Jeddah has an interesting track, fast and smooth – it requires confidence in the car.

It’s interesting to come to a different type of track and see how the FW46 behaves. I hope we have learned from the problems in Bahrain and can compete in the middle group this weekend.”

Logan Sargent: “We used the time between the stages in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to solve the problems that arose last week. Despite the problems that started from the start of the race, there were also positive moments that we can build on in the second stage of the season.

From my experience, Jeddah has one of the fastest, if not the fastest, city circuits with lots of fast corners and little room for error.

After the first race of the season, the battle in the middle group seems very exciting, as the differences between the competitors are minimal. We have a great opportunity to come back immediately and achieve a positive result.”