Alexander Albon feels Williams' equal-best result of the season in the Italian Grand Prix masked a surprising lack of pace. Albon crossed the line in seventh place as he fended off McLaren’s Lando Norris for a number of laps late on Monza to bank a second seventh-best of the year after the Canadian Grand Prix. The Williams package is known to be one of the strongest in a straight line, while McLaren has suffered in that area throughout the current campaign with its low downforce configuration a weakness the team has been working on rectifying. Albon stated that it was Williams’ top speed strength that ensured it scored points at Monza, as the car was difficult to drive elsewhere. "It was tricky because we were really weak in the last corner," he told media including RacingNews365. "We were actually good through Ascari but slow in Turn 11 (the Parabolica) and they would always catch me up through there. "The [tyre] degradation was huge. Coming into the race, even on the laps to the grid we thought: ‘This is going to be a really tough race’. "We didn't have the pace today, but we had the straight line speed. It was what kept Lando behind. I think obviously he must be very frustrated. I would be. "We just about did enough at Turn 1 on the brakes. "Even though they have more downforce than us it's not a clean overtake for them. Every time they tried to out-brake me, they tended to go wide."
Albon anticipating difficult stretch
Williams is now 10 points clear of Haas for seventh in the championship as it looks to secure its highest finish in the standings since 2017. Although he thinks the team is in a strong place, Albon has conceded that he expects the upcoming stretch of races to be difficult for Williams. "I think it’s a good step. I worry about tracks like Brazil and these kind of races," he said. "We’re in a better place. We needed that because I don't think the next few races we're not really going to stand a chance until Vegas. "So not to say that we're going to take our foot off the pedal, but a good finish here is what we needed."
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