Williams driver Alex Albon endured a dramatic moment during Qualifying for the 2025 F1 Canadian GP, as his engine cover flew off mid-lap, bringing out the red flags in Q1. The Thai-British driver was on a flying lap down the back straight when the engine cover detached from his FW46, scattering debris across the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.
Albon rues missed opportunities after disrupted Qualifying session
The incident forced race control to halt the session, with several minutes still remaining. Fortunately for Albon, the Williams crew quickly assessed the damage, and the No. 23 car was able to rejoin the session once green flags waved. Despite the setback, Albon delivered a solid performance and progressed to Q2.
Speaking after the session, Albon expressed disappointment at the missed opportunity. “Yes, exactly that. I think we should be top six, top seven, I think,” he said. “We were showing that pace all weekend and then the wind has changed 180 degrees today compared to yesterday and it really changes the balance of our car.”
Williams had shown promising speed throughout the weekend, but shifting weather conditions appeared to hamper their momentum. “We struggled as well with the tyres. Wind and tyres together was a recipe of just lacking performance,” Albon explained. “We fell back a lot from yesterday. We were honestly looking very strong yesterday and it all started to fall away so we’ve got some work to do.”
Albon also cited continued challenges with the softest compound available this weekend—the C6 tyre. “We struggled on this C6 tyre; it’s happened a few times now so we need to get on top of that,” he said. “I think our run plan as well—we most probably, we knew the medium was better—but we could have optimised Q3 a bit better.”
Albon optimistic after strong weekend
Despite the 2025 F1 Canadian GP Qualifying disruption, Albon remains optimistic about his prospects for the race. “Our race pace was pretty strong. I mean, our pace has just been strong the whole weekend,” he added. “It’s been a bit of a bogey session at the wrong time of the weekend so frustrating, but we can bounce back from it.”
The Canadian GP has often thrown surprises, and with rain in the forecast and overtaking opportunities available in Montreal, Albon will be aiming to make up ground in Sunday’s race. If Williams can maintain their strong long-run pace and avoid further technical issues, a points finish remains firmly within reach.
