Williams have been locked in a battle for eighth in the championship with Alpine for most of the season, and entered Sunday’s race just one point ahead of their rival after Pierre Gasly scored in Saturday’s Sprint to close the deficit.
But second and third for Esteban Ocon and Gasly then jumped Alpine all the way up to sixth in the standings, now 32 points ahead of Williams, with eighth-placed RB a sizeable 27 points in front.
READ MORE: ‘We never gave up and here we are’ – Alpine pair overjoyed by unexpected double podium in Brazil
“Our rivals, Alpine, were quick in the race, no doubt about it,” Vowles said. “They deserved those positions, but they scored a huge bag of points, putting them back up into a very high championship position and demoting us back down to ninth.
“I never give up until it’s time to give up and that won’t be until we’re in Abu Dhabi and the chequered flag has dropped. We have two fast drivers, and we have a fast car underneath us.”
.jpg?w=218&resize=218,150&ssl=1 "Sainz ‘cannot explain’ Sao Paulo crashes as Leclerc admits Sao Paulo was ‘damage limitation’ for Ferrari")
