Albon blames "silly error" for practice crash
Alexander Albon admitted his accident during second practice for Formula 1's Hungarian Grand Prix was simply down to a "silly error".
The Toro Rosso driver lost control of his car at the start of FP2 when he touched the grass at the exit of the final corner as he prepared to start his first flying lap of the session.
Albon spun and his STR14 impacted heavily against the tyre barriers, causing heavy damage to the left side of the car.
The Thai driver finished at the bottom of the charts without a time set.
Asked by Motorsport.com what had happened, Albon said: "Just a misjudgement really. Of course you always swing into the corner, so it's not always easy to find the limit, but of course you want to be as wide as possible for the corner and I misjudged it.
"The front didn't go into the grass, so I had the feeling like I was fine. I didn't feel the front drop, so the rear dropped, really.
"Of course the weather didn't help because it was raining and it was very slippery. Just a silly error, to be honest."
Albon conceded the lack of track time in wet conditions was not ideal given qualifying could be hit by rain.
"I mean, we'll see, because tomorrow is supposed to rain. If it's raining it's obviously is not good. If it's dry obviously it's not too bad.
"Damage-wise obviously there's quite a lot of damage but it doesn't seem to be important. In terms of running everyone was restricted so we are not far behind. I guess we'll continue our plan."
The Toro Rosso driver was 14th quickest in the morning session, but felt the team had made significant progress with its car in the afternoon despite the lack of running.
"We were struggling for pace in general, but we made a really big step in FP2. Even if I crashed the pace was very strong, so it was a bit of a shame.
"We made some good steps and at least we got a lot of data. But we made some good steps. We still need to do some work to be ready for the heat."
Previous article
Russell went from "amateur" to "rainmaster" with new set-up
Next article
Hungarian GP: Friday press conference
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Event | Hungarian GP |
| Drivers | Alex Albon |
| Teams | AlphaTauri |
| Author | Pablo Elizalde |
How Do Drivers Stay Fit For F1 Grand Prix?
Ronnie Peterson and Jochen Rindt Tribute
The double whammy that is defining Vettel’s F1 fate
It's been a tough start to Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin F1 career, with a lack of pre-season testing mileage followed by an incident-packed Bahrain GP. But two key underlying factors mean a turnaround is no guarantee.
The themes to watch in F1's Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. Ben Anderson looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says Nigel Roebuck.
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Is Formula 1 as good as it has ever been now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle.
