The final practice session for the 2022 French GP would see the Williams Racing Team come away with an encouraging result with the drivers finishing the session in 8th and 12th. Both drivers would complete runs using the soft tyre and Alex Albon would set a time that would see him 5th dropping down to 8th. For team-mate Nicholas Latifi he would continue his learning of the upgraded FW44 which he was running for the first time and he would finish in 12th. Such was the closeness of the times Nicholas was the smallest of margins outside the top ten while Alex was a few tenths off fourth. Qualifying for the French race could turn out to be a very promising session for the Williams team.
Williams
Racing French GP Saturday Practice
Team Summary:
With the start of the final practice session for the 2022 French Grand Prix
the would be a slow parade of drivers coming out with the medium tyre being
the most common. Perez on the medium would set a very early 1m:33.628
followed by Magnussen. But Verstappen would move ahead of his team-mate also
using the medium tyre setting a 1m:32.837. Ocon was now third as both
Williams drivers were getting ready to come out in the session. Hamilton
would move into fourth followed by Alonso and Magnussen.
Russell, Ricciardo and Bottas were all now running with both the soft and
medium tyre being used. Both AlphaTauri's were now running joined by Zhou
all on the soft tyre. Both Red Bull's had pitted as Ricciardo on the medium
went seventh. Both Williams drivers were in their cars but yet to come out
while Verstappen had improved his time with a 1m:32.808 prior to pitting.
Now Bottas on the soft was third as the first Williams came out. Alonso was
now fourth followed by Russell, Ocon, Hamilton and Magnussen eighth. Both
Mercedes were on the soft tyre as Hamilton went fifth. Both Ferrari's were
now running with Sainz on the soft and Leclerc the hard.
Sainz was now second and Leclerc seventh while we had a Williams now ninth.
This would become 11th while the second was now 16th as more times were set
amongst the field. Verstappen was still quickest from Sainz and Perez with
thirty five minutes remaining. Bottas was fourth followed by Alonso, Norris,
Hamilton, Zhou, Leclerc, and Russell now tenth. The Williams pair were now
12th and 18th. But we would see Gasly improve to be fourth and Magnussen now
seventh. With twenty five minutes remaining the track was quite empty but
both Red Bull cars were doing longer runs on the medium tyre.
Hamilton on the soft would move to third as both Williams cars were back out
on new soft tyres. After their runs they would be fifth and sixth dropping
to sixth and seventh as Leclerc moved into second. As more times were set
the Williams pair were now seventh and tenth with eleven minutes remaining
in the session. Verstappen and Perez were both on the soft tyre with
Verstappen quickest time now a 1m:32.272 with four minutes remaining. Sainz
was still second followed by Leclerc, Hamilton, Perez, Russell, Alonso,
Alex, Norris, and Tsunoda tenth. With the end of the session the Williams
team would be presented with an encouraging result with their cars eighth
and 12th. Both drivers were running with the upgrade package which was
starting to look quite competitive.
Alex Albon:
With fifteen minutes of the session completed Alex would take to the track
using the soft tyre for his first run. Alex would set a 1m:34.343 to be
ninth behind Russell. He would drop to tenth as others went ahead of him.
This would become 14th as the session progressed as he continued to lap the
circuit on the soft tyre. He would pit after an eight lap run. With twenty
minutes remaining Alex would be out running on new soft tyres. Alex would
set a 1m:33.558 to be fifth dropping to sixth. Now seventh he would pit
briefly after a six lap run on the soft tyre. He would pit after a single
lap. In the pits he would drop to an impressive eighth as he returned to
complete a practice start.
Nicholas Latifi:
A few minutes after Alex Nicholas would make his first run using the soft
tyre. Nicholas would set a 1m:34.763 to be 14th dropping to 19th as others
moved ahead of him. Nicholas would pit after a five lap run on the soft
tyre. Nicholas would return for another soft tyre run hoping to improve from
19th. He would set a 1m:33.841 to be 5th. He would drop to seventh right
behind his team-mate. But as Norris went quicker this would become eighth.
Nicholas would drop to 11th behind Tsunoda and Ricciardo. Nicholas would pit
briefly after a six lap run returning for a single lap run. With the end of
the session Nicholas would return to complete a practice start. He would
finish in a very encouraging 12th.
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