Sun Sep 15 15:15:00 UTC 2024: ## Williams Scores Double Points in Baku, Moving Up to 8th in Constructors’ Championship
**Baku, Azerbaijan** – Williams Racing secured a double-points finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, marking their first such achievement since last year’s US Grand Prix. Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto finished P7 and P8 respectively, moving Williams up to 8th in the Constructors’ Championship.
The team employed a split strategy, pitting Albon earlier than planned onto the Medium tires after he displayed strong pace on the Hard. This allowed him to close in on Fernando Alonso, ultimately ending just a few seconds behind the Aston Martin driver. Meanwhile, Colapinto, who started on the Medium, held off Lewis Hamilton and Zane Maloney to secure his first F1 points in just his second race.
“We were settling for P9 and P10 until a late accident between Perez and Sainz moved us up to P7 and P8,” said Sporting Director Sven Smeets. “This was a great afternoon for the whole team; we’ve been competitive the whole weekend and have been rewarded with our first double points finish since last season’s U.S. Grand Prix.”
Albon echoed the sentiment, noting the team’s progress and the strength of the recent upgrade. “We know how difficult it is to get P9’s and P10’s in races, so to get P7 and P8 is luxurious,” he said. “We’ve moved in front of Alpine now in the championship, which was our target by the end of the year.”
Colapinto expressed his elation at securing his first points, highlighting the team’s hard work and the potential for future success. “To score my first points in Formula 1 is a fantastic feeling,” he said. “We had good pace today being very close to the Aston. To finish seventh and eighth alongside Alex means we’re now P8 in the Constructors’ Championship which is a good step forward and a motivator for the team.”
The team is now looking ahead to the Singapore Grand Prix, where they are set to introduce a further upgrade to their car.
First Piper 