Report: Two in the top 10 in Texas!

Williams Racing ended the 2023 US Grand Prix with both cars classified in the top 10, with Alex Albon securing P9 and Logan Sargeant in P10.

Late-evening drama with disqualifications for others meant the amazing efforts from our drivers to cross the line in P11 and P12 turned into point-scoring finishes.

The result gives Logan his first Formula 1 point, secured at his home Grand Prix in front of a capacity crowd at COTA.

It was a non-stop Sunday for our drivers for a second 2023 American race without a single yellow flag, VSC, or Safety Car appearance.

An eighth-row lockout was how our race began after four competitors chose to start from the pit lane, and we continued to propel forward over the subsequent 56 laps.

As with Saturday’s Sprint, the FW45’s race pace allowed advancement up the order, and both Albono and Sarge enjoyed many overtaking manoeuvres, particularly into the Turn 12 hairpin.

A late-race retirement for Fernando Alonso, just as Sarge surged by Nico Hülkenberg for P12, meant any further attrition ahead would see us scoring points with one or both cars.

It wasn’t to be when the chequered flag waved. However, a decision from the stewards some four hours following the final lap had the two FW45s jump into the top 10 positions to record our first double-points finish since 2021.

Logan’s P10 sees him making history as the first American to score points in the sport since Michael Andretti 30 years ago on a memorable day for our rookie.

Alex eked out all the performance from his tyres after a 27-lap stint to close his race, which unfortunately netted him a time penalty for track limits.

Nonetheless, he didn’t lose any positions from the indiscretion and shared his post-race thoughts on adding two more points to his 2023 total:

"I’m very happy for the team and especially Logan for scoring points today.

"We had our luck, but we were there to take it! My race felt a little compromised without any new Mediums, as we used them all yesterday in the Sprint.

"We also struggled with the Hards, forcing us to run our used Mediums.

"Nonetheless, to walk away with points is great for the team as we close out the remainder of the season."

Logan was in the thick of the action throughout his maiden US Grand Prix and was classified just two seconds behind Alex by the chequered flag.

P12 soon became a P10, and a point-scoring Logan was delighted with his day:

"It’s amazing to score my first point in F1 on home turf after the challenging weekend I’ve had. I’m so proud of this team and myself for the hard work and progress we’ve been making this season.

"We worked hard overnight to find a direction with the car that was going to be positive, and we found that.

"We couldn’t change a lot as the car was under Parc Fermé, but we worked on the systems side using the tools on my steering wheel to help move the car in the right direction.

"The pace was so much better today, and I was driving really well. I had a great start but was unfortunate to catch the sausage kerb in Turn 1 and went into anti-stall which cost me a couple of positions.

"That changed the race a little bit, but we fought back, and I gave it my all every lap. We made steps in the right direction that we can build on and move forward as we head to Mexico."

Dave Robson, our Head of Vehicle Performance, explained how the race unfolded from the view of the pit wall:

"After Leclerc and Hamilton’s post-race disqualifications, we come away from Austin with double points for the team for the first time since the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.

"It’s also Logan’s first point in Formula 1 and he becomes the first American to score a point since Michael Andretti at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix.

"It has been another busy sprint weekend and today went well for both drivers. Conditions were a little different with changes to the wind and track temperature for today but overall, the car still behaved well and both drivers were able to push close to the points.

"All sprint races are difficult for rookie drivers and this very technical track is one of the worst; Logan struggled on Friday but with more laps, he improved rapidly and put in a very strong performance today.

"We didn’t expect COTA to be a good circuit for us so to come away with double points today represents a good effort from the whole team.

"Although Alpha Tauri were strong and scored some points, we still head to Mexico in a good Championship position."