Alexander Albon has fond memories of his 2022 Australian Grand Prix, with the Thai driver scoring his first point for Williams Racing at Albert Park twelve months ago, something he would like to duplicate this season.
Albon waited until the final lap to make his one and only pit stop, gambling by staying out despite safety car and virtual safety car interventions, and he was rewarded by staying ahead – just – of Zhou Guanyu on pit exit.
Looking ahead to a weekend that has the potential to be affected by wet weather, Albon says there could be opportunities for Williams to fight amongst the midfield and look to score points for a second time in three 2023 events.
“I have great memories from last year’s race here and I love coming to Melbourne; it’s a great city and the fans create an amazing atmosphere,” said Albon.
“It looks like it might be a wet weekend so that’ll be something we’ll be keeping an eye on, but I’m looking forward to it.”
“I’m really excited to head to Australia for the first time” – Logan Sargeant
Team-mate Logan Sargeant will race for the first time in Australia this weekend, with the American eager to build on what he has learned across his opening two races of his FIA Formula 1 World Championship career.
Sargeant has finished twelfth and sixteenth in his first two outings since being promoted from FIA Formula 2, but he knows he will have a lot to learn as he adapts to a new track for the first time, the twenty-two-year-old having experienced both the Bahrain International Circuit and Jeddah Corniche Circuit during his junior formula career.
The American knows the Albert Park circuit is challenging, but this weekend could give them opportunities to perform at a high level and maybe challenge for points.
“I’m really excited to head to Australia for the first time,” said Sargeant. “It’s a track and place I’ve always wanted to visit, so I’m excited to be here in Melbourne.
“I also think it’s another great opportunity for us as a team to keep building on what we’ve done so far. It’s another challenging circuit but I’m really looking forward to the weekend.”
Logan Sargeant will race at Albert Park for the first time in his career this weekend – Credit: Williams Racing