The Japanese Grand Prix was disastrous for Williams, which for the seventh consecutive time failed to score any points. In addition, in the two previous races, the drivers were involved in a total of three collisions, which is quite significant for a team without a spare chassis. It’s really costly!
For the second year in a row, Albon faced issues in Japan early in the race – and the situations were quite similar. Last year, Alex was attacked by Bottas even before the first corner, while trying to avoid Ocon.
This time, the Williams representative once again found himself as an innocent victim, except that this time Ricciardo collided with him while trying to avoid Stroll. If you like to bet on Formula 1, we suggest considering switching to Mostbet BD login.
As for Logan Sargeant, his actions once again did not work in his favor. “Degner” is a dangerous point, and the young American momentarily locked up the wheel, causing him to end up in the gravel before even realizing.
Sargeant managed to stop the car to avoid hitting the barriers, but it cost him approximately 30 seconds to get back on track after the incident. Consequently, both Alpine drivers overtook him, and Logan ended up finishing in last place.
However, during the practice session two days before the race, Sargeant once again crashed his car. It is worth noting that Logan’s car is a rebuilt chassis from Albon’s car, which he had crashed in Melbourne. The car was repaired in Grove and delivered to Sargeant, who unfortunately ended up hitting the wall once again.
The driver admitted that he went too far, attempting a very wide maneuver at the seventh corner, and did not foresee the contact with the kerb. This incident, along with his spin during practice in Australia, marks his third significant and costly mistake.
Fortunately, the monocoque was not damaged as a result of this incident, although Sargeant destroyed valuable upgrades – the team had built a set of front and rear wings. Although this saga did not impact the team as severely as Albon’s accident in Melbourne, it consumed valuable time and resources from the engineers as they worked to fix the damaged cars.
Heading to Shanghai for a sprint race weekend, there will be only one free practice session before things get serious, making it quite inconvenient to test the wings.
The start of the season has proven to be a disappointment for Williams, regardless of how you analyze it. The top five teams have a significant advantage over the competition, leaving Grove struggling for top position among the backmarkers to occasionally score points.
In the past, there have been occasions when Williams managed to achieve this, although both Haas and Alfa Romeo have made progress during the offseason. Red Bull also seems to be performing well, making it even more challenging for Albon. Throughout 2024, he never made it to Q3 or finished in the top ten at the end of a race.
Meanwhile, Grove is implementing changes in its internal processes. Vowles revealed that the team used to track the car components in Microsoft Excel after joining Williams last year. Under the new leadership, a global restructuring has been initiated, although significant progress has not yet been seen at Williams. It could be argued that the process under the new management is not going well.
The organizational upheavals resulted in Williams not having enough time to produce a spare chassis before the start of the season, and Albon’s accident further complicated things.
With constant accidents, the team has less time and resources available for updates. This will not only affect the current season, but also future ones, especially in 2025, when the F1 rules remain the same and the new chassis should be an evolution of this year’s model.
As a result of the restructuring led by James Vowles, there is a possibility for Williams to continue to struggle at the back of the grid.
The new owners at Dorilton Capital have managed to bring Williams back to a stable state after the disastrous 2018 season. However, it remains uncertain if they have the patience to endure another setback.
Currently, in this era of F1, the once dominant team founded by Sir Frank Williams (nine F1 Constructors’ titles, seven Drivers’ titles) is practically unrecognizable in its current state compared to its former glory.
© 2024
Porto beats Benfica in thrilling match
Last Sunday, Porto faced Benfica in an electrifying match that ended with Porto’s 2-1 victory. The game was played at the Estádio do Dragão, in Porto, and had the presence of thousands of passionate fans.
The game started with Benfica dominating possession and pressuring Porto. However, it was Porto who opened the scoring 15 minutes into the first half, with a beautiful header goal by Brazilian forward, Carlos Eduardo.
Benfica did not give up and continued pressing for the equalizer. The team managed to level the score 30 minutes into the second half, with a goal from Argentine midfielder, Juan Martinez.
The match remained balanced until the final minutes, when Porto scored the winning goal. At 85 minutes, Portuguese forward, Diogo Costa, received a precise pass inside the box and finished with skill, securing the victory for his team.
With the victory, Porto takes the lead in the championship, leaving Benfica in second place. The team is unbeaten in 10 games and shows a great performance this season.
Porto’s next challenge will be against Sporting, in a classic match that promises a lot of excitement. Fans are already eager to follow another thrilling game.
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