Alex Albon, a threat to Mercedes in the race
Toto Wolff, the boss of Mercedes, dreads a strong performance from Alexander Albon. The top speed could prevent the Silver Arrows from overtaking him.
His presence so high in the grid is not surprising. The Thai feels comfortable behind the wheel of his Williams and knows how to push it to its limits. Already with a fourth place on the grid in Zandvoort, the London-born driver repeated the feat in Monza.
The former Red Bull driver achieved the sixth fastest time, two places ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who struggled in the qualifying session. « Lewis had a hard time gaining confidence in the car and struggled to get traction at the rear throughout the sessions », reveals Toto Wolff, the boss of Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton ready to fight in the race
For the Austrian team, the position of their driver on the grid could be a disadvantage if Alex Albon has a good start during the race. George Russell could also come under pressure as he starts two places ahead of the Thai driver.
« If George gets off to a good start, then he can fight at the forefront. If Albon passes, for example, it could be a more difficult afternoon for us », the Austrian believes. « As for Lewis, we know what he can offer in the race – and he will fight until the last meters to move up in the pack. »
« It will be a long race tomorrow, probably with only one pit stop, not much variety in the strategy, but let’s see how we proceed in terms of the race pace. »
