Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Alex Albon has been summoned to the stewards by the FIA at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix after an alleged practice start incident at the end of the only free practice session in Shanghai.
The incident occurred at the conclusion of FP1 at the Shanghai International Circuit, where the Williams driver is suspected of performing a practice start on the grid while another car was stationary in the same area.
According to the official race documents, the situation may represent a breach of Article B4.2.2c of the Formula 1 sporting regulations. Albon was scheduled to report to the stewards at 13:00 local time, roughly 30 minutes after the end of the session.
On track, Albon finished the practice session in 16th position as the team’s challenging start to the season continued. Team-mate Carlos Sainz also endured a disrupted session, only managing representative running during the final 30 minutes.
Williams has faced several technical challenges early in the campaign. The FW48 is believed to be carrying excess weight compared to its development targets, which has impacted the car’s overall performance on track.
In addition, customer teams using the Mercedes power unit have not yet been able to extract the same level of performance as the manufacturer outfit, further limiting the Grove-based team’s competitiveness.
Under team principal James Vowles, Williams continues to undergo a long-term transformation project focused on upgrading its facilities and infrastructure as it aims to return to the front of the midfield.
The team, which has won nine constructors’ championships in its history, has slipped down the Formula 1 competitive order in recent seasons and expects its recovery process to take a significant part of the current campaign.
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