Report: A mixed qualifying in Malaysia
Carlos Sainz qualified P13 with Alex Albon in P20 after Saturday at the Bahrain GP in Malaysia
Published
03 OCT 2026
Est. reading time
3 min
Atlassian Williams F1 Team will look to push forward from P13 and P18 on Sunday after a mixed qualifying at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
With ambient temperatures at 32.8°C, and the track registering 57.7°C, keeping the soft compound alive around the high-degradation Sepang International Circuit was always going to be a challenge, making it a true one-lap effort.
Both cars headed out together on fresh softs at the start of Q1. Carlos opened with a 1:38.102 and Alex with a 1:38.848. After a quick turnaround, the pair returned on a new set for their final runs, with eight of the top nine staying in the garage.
Carlos improved to a 1:37.651 to progress in P13. Alex found time on his last attempt, but a lock-up at turn 14 limited him to a 1:38.600 and P20.
Alex will start P18 after Arvid Lindblad takes a grid penalty for a new power unit element outside his allocation, and Franco Colapinto takes the same penalty plus one carried over from his collision in Baku.
Carlos began Q2 on the softs he had used in Q1 and set a 1:38.880, before being called to the weighbridge on his way back to the garage. He took a fresh set for his final attempt and lapped in 1:37.527, his quickest time of the session, leaving him P13 and 0.713s off a place in Q3.
James Vowles, Team Principal
“It was a well-executed qualifying for Carlos and great to see him knocking on the door of Q3, but not quite there at what, for us, is a track that we know does not suit the car. It’s another indication that we have moved forward, but not enough to the level we need to be to fight for points.
“On the other hand, it’s been a difficult weekend for Alex. He was offset in FP3, so we tried a slightly different direction in qualifying, which I’m not sure whether it helped or not at this stage. The good news tomorrow is it looks like weather may come into play, so we need to be as prepared as possible and take advantage of any circumstance that comes our way."
Carlos Sainz
“It was a good qualifying today, doing some of the best laps I’ve done this season, given the limitations of our car. I was able to find a baseline that worked well, allowing me to be precise and consistent out there, and improving every lap. We’ve done a good job today although tomorrow will be tough given our lack of downforce, making it difficult to take care of the tyres. We’ll do our best to take any opportunities that come our way."
Alex Albon
“That was a tough qualifying and not the result we wanted. We made some changes to the car for the session and they didn't give us the performance we were hoping for, so we'll look at the data tonight and work out what we can take from it. We knew this was going to be a challenging track, and tomorrow is a learning day for us. We'll look at strategy and see what options we have. With the way tyre degradation is likely to play out, hopefully it's an eventful race, and we'll be able to make the most of whatever comes our way."
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