Alexander Albon has offered an insight into his crash into the barrier at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on lap 30, which brought an early end to his race.
The Williams driver had qualified 13th and was working his way through the field when the incident occurred, marking his third non-finish of the year.
The crash came at a track known for its long straights and heavy braking zones, where a gust of wind proved decisive in catching Albon out under braking.
But reflecting on the moment, Albon said the footage did not tell the full story of what happened in the cockpit.
"It was odd,” Albon told media including RacingNews365. “You see the rear cameras, so you don't really see the crash itself.
“I braked a little bit later, and then we had a big wind gust. I thought I would run a little bit wide, but I never thought I would hit the wall.
"It was weird. We'll look at the data. I'm sure I have to hold my hand up in that situation, but at the same time, we've had these issues before.
"We know our car likes to lift the front wheel, and sometimes when it does that, the penalty for front locking is huge on our car."
Williams car 'can't take' certain conditions
The issue Albon referenced, known in the paddock as three-wheeling, sees the inside front tyre unload or lift completely off the track under braking and cornering loads.
It has dogged the FW48 since pre-season, with Williams struggling to find a fix despite various setup changes across the year.
Albon expanded on how a simple decision to brake later did not comply with what the car could take.
"We know we three-wheel,” he said. “We know if brake a bit late, we can expose ourselves to that free-wheeling.
"With the wind gust, it tips it over the edge.
"It wasn't a huge amount. It was a few metres, but that's too much. We can't take that."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding as they look back on the Azerbaijan GP but also look ahead to F1's return this weekend to Malaysia! Rumours linking Christian Horner with a return to the sport is a major talking point.
Get the latest F1 news from RacingNews365 directly in your Google feed! Click on the link below and you’ll see your favourite F1 website appearing even more often. That way, you’ll never miss any news, analyses, interviews, or exclusives.
Follow RacingNews365 on GoogleMost read
In this article
Never miss a thing from the Formula 1 season! Add the 2026 F1 schedule to your calendar at the touch of a button. Subscribe below and put the dates and times of every race directly on your PC or smartphone, so you don't miss a second from the new season.
Download the F1 calendar Download the F1 calendar
A variant with just the race and qualifying is also available.
Click here to download it..
Join the conversation!