Alex Albon has officially retired from the Sao Paulo GP after a serious crash in qualifying

Williams has confirmed that Alex Albon will not take part in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after suffering a heavy crash in the third quarter of wet qualifying in Brazil. The accident marked a second setback for the Grove outfit, as interim driver Franco Colapinto also crashed in the first quarter.

Albon's accident was the most serious incident in qualifying. With just four minutes left in the top 10 shootout, the Williams driver, who was in second place on the timesheets, lost control on the high-speed approach to Turn 1 and clipped the side of the track. He left the Interlagos race track and crashed into a guardrail, severely damaging the rear of his car.

Williams team boss James Vowles commented on Sky F1 during the broadcast:

“It's a heartbreaking day for the team.

“We are here to race and no one wants to be in this situation. The most important point is that all drivers who had incidents in qualifying are fine, including Alex and Franco.”

“Despite the best efforts of our hard-working, talented and resilient team, there was simply not enough time to repair Alex's car in time for the Grand Prix.”

“It’s a bitter pill to swallow at the end of a tough three-way race, especially when both riders showed tremendous pace this morning.”

“We will focus on making the most of this afternoon with Franco and putting on a show for the incredible fans here in Brazil.”

The team also released the following update:

“In qualifying this morning before the São Paulo Grand Prix, Williams Racing suffered significant accident damage to both cars following incidents in poor weather conditions.

“Regrettably, following assessment of the significant damage to Alex Albon’s car, the necessary repairs could not be completed in the short period of time between qualifying and the race. The team is therefore forced to withdraw Alex’s car for the remainder of the Grand Prix.”

“Franco Colapinto will compete in the Grand Prix this afternoon.”

Albon and Colapinto's crashes were among numerous incidents that raised red flags during a challenging qualifying session in Brazil, where difficult conditions forced the date to be postponed. Several drivers struggled for traction and experienced difficulties, including Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, whose accident in the second quarter added to the disruption with another red flag.

Qualifying was disastrous for Aston Martin, with both AMR24s retiring. Fernando Alonso lost control in Q3 and crashed into the barriers while pushing for pole. Previously, teammate Lance Stroll's exit from Q2 had raised red flags, interrupting Max Verstappen's lap and ultimately leading to his retirement. Verstappen's qualifying difficulties and a five-place grid penalty for a Virtual Safety Car breach in the São Paulo sprint mean he will start from P17. However, Verstappen appeared frustrated by the delay in raising the red flags.