'He won't survive on that' - Williams reveal new team strategist made vital call

Williams team principal James Vowles has revealed Alex Albon's survival of the Australian Grand Prix was aided by a key call at a vital time made by a new team 'strategist'.

That person was Albon's new team-mate, Carlos Sainz, whose debut for Williams following his winter switch from Ferrari ended in a first-lap crash following heavy pre-race rain that had drenched Melbourne's Albert Park.

Sainz then watched a chaotic race unfold, with his incident being one of six crashes that made for a sensational season-opening event Down Under.

Sainz's vital intervention came when another burst of rain hit the circuit, and the final sector initially, on lap 44 of 57, and which almost accounted for race leader Lando Norris in his McLaren as he ran wide onto the gravel at Turn 12 on his dry tyres.

Team-mate Oscar Piastri, directly behind the Briton, was not so lucky as his mirror-image incident to Norris saw him spin onto the grass at Turn 13, from which he struggled to emerge until reversing his way out of trouble, but a podium was gone.

It was then over to the strategists to make a call to determine whether to stay out for one more lap or pit instantly to take on inters. That is when Sainz took charge.

"No result is the result of one individual - it's the team coming together," said Vowles, speaking to Sky Sports F1. "The pit stops were on point, the strategy well done.

"One point to note on the strategy is there was an additional strategist, which was Carlos. His insight was incredibly useful on that transition to the inter.

“You saw a number of teams unsure, 'Do we try and hang it out? Can we hang it out,’ and Carlos was adamant, ‘He [Albon] won’t survive on that [dry tyre] in the last few corners’. And he was spot on. He helped drive us towards that."

All torque and no action for Sainz

Sainz's debut for Williams lasted just under a lap as he slid off the track and crashed into a wall at the final Turn 14. The Spanish driver blamed a torque surge from the Mercedes power unit.

Vowles has stated further investigation is necessary to determine the specifics of what unfolded but has exonerated Sainz.

"It’s slightly odd, so we have to go through it more,” said Vowles. “Effectively it was an upshift on part-throttle, but there was more torque than he would have expected at that point.

"It was tricky out there, I have to say. It [Sainz's crash] was in a region where there are a lot of white lines, which probably accentuated the issue. But you have to remember, he is an expert driver, and I think Alex will attest to this. It was a fine line."