F1 News: Alex Albon On Williams Success - "Biggest Steps To Happen In 2024"
Alex Albon, the prominent driver for Williams F1 team, has expressed a strong belief in the substantial progress expected at the British team in 2024, highlighting the influence of James Vowles' leadership as team principal.
Key Takeaways:
- Organizational Revamp: James Vowles has brought significant organizational changes to Williams since his arrival from Mercedes, setting the foundation for future successes.
- 2024: A Year of Transformation: Albon is confident about the major improvements expected in 2024 under Vowles' strategic direction.
- Gradual Progression: Despite the positive changes, Williams' journey towards the top will be more gradual, focusing on long-term improvements.
Alex Albon has shared his insights on the future of Williams, particularly highlighting the impact of James Vowles' leadership and how it will finally take prominence as the team manoeuvres into 2024. Vowles, who came from Mercedes as a strategist, took over as team principal of Williams less than a year ago. His arrival marked a new era for the team, known for its rich history in Formula 1 but struggling in recent times.
Albon, who has been a key player in the team's performance, reflected on the changes under Vowles and the potential for the coming year.
He stated:
“Being totally realistic, there was only so much stuff he could have improved,” referring to the time Vowles has been with the team. “We have quite a long build time for our cars.
"We are trying to make big steps, not small, so we're not doing little upgrades every weekend like you see with the top teams because we have so much more to achieve.
He further elaborated:
“James is also of that same approach. So who he is employing, how he's structuring the team, let's call it that (this year) is going to be the true year where we're going to see what he has brought to the team.
"Of course, he's already brought things to this team, his character as a person, the way that he talks and communicates with the team. There are little (technical) things, of course, like tyre knowledge, engine understanding, aero understanding that we've been able to implement this year.
"But there's only so much you can do, and so the biggest steps are going to happen in 2024 and beyond. I'm pretty confident about that.”
Williams, limited by finances, hasn't got the infrastructure that a lot of the teams on the grid currently boast. In fact, Vowles was taken aback by the lack of basic equipment powering the team. And while the British team principal fights against this, it would be misplaced to believe that Williams would be able to come back with a dominance of, say McLaren or even Alpine.
But, with Vowles' influence finally starting to be felt, 2024 could be another stepping stone in his long term plan, with Albon suggesting that his new boss is focussing on the large hanging fruit before he tackles the specific details.
“I asked James about that because it's important for me to know: How are we? Where are we? Are we further behind than you thought, and is that growing or reducing with the more time you spend with the team?
“It's interesting. There are some areas especially where we're very strong as a team. I think we're a very strong race team. I think we execute very well
“I don't think there are many times where we have a bad strategy. I think we take advantage of every moment, and when we are able to score points.
“But then, of course, there are areas where we need to improve and where we are far behind. So the attention from James has definitelybeen on those bigger areas, where the carrot is much bigger to focus on for the long term.
"We attacked that straight away."
There's no doubt that Vowles is a talented man, and finally, we can see a glimpse of light in the future of the Williams team. This can only help Alex, who's confidence in his own squad is equally as important as the performance of his car.