Albon: McLaren could defend Verstappen with one driver

Albon, who said he would be more cautious this time after his contact with Yuki Tsunoda at the first corner last year, stated that Mexico was a generally suitable track for Williams:

"This is normally a good track for us. Stop-start corners suit our car better. While the team is a bit more cautious this weekend, I'm frankly more optimistic. The most important thing at this track is the starting performance because the race is often decided in the first corner."

Addressing the car setup, Albon admitted that the high downforce package had created challenges for Williams:

"The problem isn't really the amount of downforce, but how the balance changes with the rear wing. The wing we're using is a slightly older version, so it's not as balanced in performance as our mid- and low-downforce packages."

Alexander Albon, Williams

Photo: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

Stating that they still maintain their goal of 5th place in the championship fight, Albon also found Williams’ pace of development positive:

"We haven't had a major update for a long time, but as we get to know the car better, the pace is increasing. I enjoy trying different setups in FP1 because the team is still learning. We're pushing our boundaries a little more with every race."

Answering questions about the championship fight, the Thai pilot touched on Max Verstappen's situation and said that McLaren was facing a strategic dilemma:

"There's a very good track here for Verstappen. McLaren is still in the title fight with two drivers. But if they wanted to, they could have defended Max more easily by putting one of them forward. Still, it's fair for them to give both drivers an equal chance. The championship seems set to go all the way."

Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

When asked why the C1 tires were not performing effectively in Austin, Albon pointed out the balance between heating and overheating of the tires:

"Austin is a very aggressive track, especially with its high-speed corners. The ground temperature was also high, which overheated the tyres. As a result, the reliability of the C1 was not an advantage, as the tyres were always operating at their limit. So the performance difference was almost zero."

Albon clearly summarized his expectations for the weekend:

"The important thing here is to be consistent. FP1 is the dirtiest session on the track, but continuing without changing the car is generally the best approach. We will try to make the most of what we have this weekend."