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Williams in race against time to start Brazil GP after double qualifying crash

The Williams Formula 1 team is facing a race against time to get both cars onto the Brazilian Grand Prix grid after crashes for both Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto in qualifying.

In a wet qualifying session Colapinto slid off into the tyre barriers at Turn 3 in Q1, a corner that also claimed Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz, with the Argentinian qualifying down in 18th.

In Q3 Albon also suffered a heavy smash as he chased a shock pole position, with the Thai driver holding second with four minutes on the clock behind eventual polesitter Lando Norris in the McLaren.

But Albon's rear snapped under braking into Turn 1, with his Williams spinning into the outside wall and heavily damaging both front and rear.

While both drivers were okay, Albon's crash caused the latest red flag that delayed the session.

Meanwhile, both Williams cars were still stuck behind the barriers, with the team forced to wait until it can recover them after the end of qualifying.

With the start of the grand prix planned at 12:30 local time, that is set to leave the British team just three hours to turn both cars around for the race.

Franco Colapinto, Williams FW46 (Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images)

While Albon was wondering whether his brakes failed, Colapinto said he was worried he would not make the start of the race.

"I don't quite know what happened," Colapinto told ESPN. "I had some wheelspin and nothing... unrecoverable. It's very sad. Sorry to the team. They have a lot of work to do.

"I don't know if they're going to make it to the race. It's a pity. Let's see if we can do something for later. It was 100% my mistake”.

“Let's see if we can make it to the start, which is what I want most. Now we have to work and try to start the race. It's a small mistake that shouldn't have happened.”

The other Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso also shunted in the final sector, while several other drivers spun in Turn 3 and escaped a crash of their own, including McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Ferrari man Charles Leclerc.

If Albon's car is fixed on time, he will take the start from seventh on the grid.

Additional reporting by Federico Faturos

Photos from Brazilian GP Qualifying

Race winner Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38
Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal and General Manager, Scuderia Ferrari
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20
Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524
Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team VCARB 01, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15
Christian Horner, Team Principal Red Bull Racing
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team
Hannah Schmitz, Red Bull Racing Principal Strategy Engineer
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24, crashes out
Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38
Pole man Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, celebrates after Qualifying
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team
Fans of Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, in a grandstand
Pole man Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, celebrates in Parc Ferme
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team
Lewis Hamilton drives Ayrton Senna's McLaren MP4/5B
Lewis Hamilton in the cockpit of the McLaren MP4/5B, with Viviane Senna, sister of Ayrton Senna, holding her brothers helmet
Lewis Hamilton drives Ayrton Senna's McLaren MP4/5B
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team
Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, on the grid
Oliver Bearman, Haas VF-24, arrives on the grid
Rubens Barrichello on the grid
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Christian Horner, Team Principal Red Bull Racing, Stefano Domenicali, CEO of the Formula One Group
George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, in the cockpit
Marshals lift Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24, out of the gravel as Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24, passes
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524, Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01, Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team VCARB 01, the rest of the field at the start
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Franco Colapinto, Williams FW46, the remainder of the field on the opening lap
Oliver Bearman, Haas VF-24, battles with Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20, sprays mud as he tries to rejoin after a spin
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15
Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44, battles with Oliver Bearman, Haas VF-24
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38
Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team VCARB 01
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24
Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team VCARB 01
Oliver Bearman, Haas VF-24, spins in front of Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, makes a pit stop
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38
Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, battles with Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, makes a pit stop
Marshals push Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24, back on track
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20
Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524
Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Race winner Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1st position, celebrates on the podium
Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 Team, 2nd position, Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team, 3rd position, lift the trophy in celebration
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20
Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team, 3rd position, Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 Team, 2nd position, on the podium
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1st position, celebrates on the podium
Pierre Wache, Technical Director Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 Team, 2nd position, celebrates with his trophy on the podium
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Pierre Wache, Technical Director Red Bull Racing, Esteban Ocon, Alpine
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1st position, Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 Team, 2nd position, Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team, 3rd position, on the podium
Esteban Ocon, Alpine
Esteban Ocon, Alpine, Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Fans of Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Fan of Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing with a tattoo
Esteban Ocon, Alpine, Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing celebrates with team members
Esteban Ocon, Alpine, Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
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