09/07/2020
NEWS STORY
For the second time in three races, Alex Albon looked to be heading for a podium finish, only to clash with Lewis Hamilton. In Brazil he retired on the spot, while last week he slipped down the order before succumbing to an electrics issue.
The 5s time penalty handed to Hamilton for causing the collision was of no comfort to Albon, indeed it benefitted fellow Briton, Lando Norris who claimed the final podium place after the world champion was demoted to fourth.
Having watch last week's incident several times, Albon insists that given the chance he would "100% do it all again".
"We didn't speak afterwards and to be honest there wasn't too much to say as it is what it is," Albon said. "I'm sure Lewis didn't intend to make contact but not too much to say really, just focused straightaway on to race two."
After analysing the clash, Albon remains certain there was enough space on the track to complete the overtake.
"I think the way the corner is, let's say the exit point of where you take that corner is not where it looks like," he told reporters. "I think there's a certain camera angle where I saw where people say there is a car length to go still, but you don't exit there. You don't exit at that point, the exit point is a lot later in the corner, just because Turn 4 is quite long. So, unless I kind of drove out to the edge of the track and then turned again, that's the only real way to give myself enough space.
"100% I would do the same thing again," he added. "I think it has to be done. You can't wait around, especially when they have a tyre disadvantage, there's no waiting to be done really, because obviously, we knew they had a pace advantage and it was just a matter of time until the prime tyre had warmed up. So there's no real regret on my side."
The youngster, though disappointed to miss out on a maiden podium, feels the time penalty was fair.
"At the very beginning it is frustrating, as you are the one to lose out in the situation," he admitted, "but I think just to make it fair the way it is ruled out, they want all the penalties to apply in the same way no matter what the crash or consequences are.
"I am kind of happy that is the situation, it just means that we lost out a bit more than we would have liked."
Check out our Thursday gallery from Spielberg, here.