Report: On the wrong side of a classic at Sepang
After making the right call in wet-to-dry conditions, we slipped out of contention and our race ended in P17 and a retirement
Published
04 OCT 2026
Est. reading time
5 min
The Sepang International Circuit had waited nine years to host Formula 1 action again, but its return delivered several different races in one afternoon.
Unfortunately for Atlassian Williams F1 Team, none of the drama that unfolded saw us able to depart the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia with any points.
The first twist came shortly before the pit lane opened, 40 minutes prior to the scheduled lights-out time, as monsoon conditions swept over the circuit – the first wet running experienced by the majority of the field.
As such, the race start was delayed for half an hour before the formation lap took place behind the Safety Car. However, racing would not begin for almost another hour.
Multiple cars on this formation lap suffered suspected electrical issues and had to reset their machines on the go. This scattering of Formula 1 machinery around the circuit led to an abandoned start procedure and a return to the pits.
At 16:33 local time, 93 minutes later than originally scheduled, we were finally underway, with the race starting behind the Safety Car.
The field was split between cars on intermediates and cars on slicks, with both Williams drivers opting for the inters – it proved to be the right choice. As we lined up for a standing start at the end of lap 3, some of those on slicks peeled into the pits for inters, while others continued to the grid.
Our duo made a mammoth start as a result, with Carlos Sainz climbing from P13 to P6 and Alex Albon going from P18 to P7 by the end of the opening lap.
Those still on slicks were running roughly 10 seconds a lap slower in the early stages of racing. By lap 8, we had slipped slightly to P7 and P9, respectively, before the Cadillac of Valtteri Bottas slid into the gravel in the final sector, bringing out the Safety Car.
By now, the slicks were the better option, and we peeled into the pits to double-stack our drivers under the Safety Car, rejoining in P8 and P12 for the restart on lap 13.
Unfortunately, any hopes of remaining in the points fight were dashed at Turn 2. Carlos Sainz was battling with Gabriel Bortoleto and left space at the apex, but the Audi collided with our Spanish racer and turned him around, dropping him 10 positions. Bortoleto would receive a 10-second time penalty for the incident.
Alex reported brake issues over the radio during this next stint and pitted again on lap 17 to fit the hard tyre.
Carlos began climbing back up the order, reaching P15 before pitting himself for hards on lap 26.
The race took another twist on lap 43, but regrettably, it was because of a reported gearbox issue for Alex. Initially, the VSC was deployed, which allowed Carlos to take another pit stop, before it was upgraded to a full Safety Car.
Just as we were on what was set to be the final lap behind the Safety Car on lap 50, we had yet more drama – George Russell’s Mercedes pulled to the side of the track while Lando Norris took evasive action at Turn 1 and skirted across the gravel.
This set things up for a four-lap sprint to the flag, one which saw Carlos put up a strong defence against Bortoleto to retain P17 at the end.
James Vowles, Team Principal
“A difficult afternoon with moments where we looked to be in a good position, and, conversely, moments where we don't have the pace in order to be fighting for points at a track like this. It was an interesting day with rain coming in at exactly the right time causing a halt to proceedings whilst the monsoon passed. Then we had an unusual set of events where cars were unable to get around on their own power on the laps off the grid, requiring a red flag before we could start.
“It was a tricky call to determine whether to run the inters or slicks as everyone saw, so well done to the team for really committing with the inters; it was a good decision, and we were looking strong, as we pulled a clear pit stop gap, relative to cars behind. It was unfortunately short lived with a safety car that allowed everyone to close back in again, and from that point forwards, we didn't get it perfect, but also just simply didn't have the car pace we needed to make it work.
“We'll come back stronger in Singapore, but our focus is well and truly on getting this right for 2027."
Carlos Sainz
“We did everything right at the start of the race and managed to climb all the way to P6. Unfortunately, after getting hit at the first restart I dropped quickly down the order and it was very tough for us to recover. It is a pity because we had a chance at holding on to a good result. We also need to look into race execution and make sure we have a better overall weekend next week in Singapore. We’ll try to bounce back and keep pushing."
Alex Albon
“A tricky race. We were on the right tyre at the start, the call for inters was spot on, and it was nice to be in the mix early on. Then the track dried out and we lost a bit of ground. The double stack didn't help, and with a flat spot on the softs we had to come in earlier than we wanted. We had a few issues throughout the race, including the brakes and a gearbox problem that ended our race. It's unfortunate, but we're lacking overall performance right now, and that's what we're really focusing on in our debriefs. We just want a smooth weekend and a feeling of progress, and we'll keep working to get that. I'm looking forward to Singapore, another home race for me, and hopefully we can fight further up the midfield."
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