F1 News: Alex Albon on Williams - 'Unfair Where We Are'
Alex Albon has renewed his commitment with Williams Racing, signing a new multi-year contract despite the team's challenging start to the 2024 season. The Thai-British driver has admitted that he doesn't feel it's "fair" to see Williams towards the bottom of the grid as he watches his colleagues fight so hard to improve.
Alex Albon's recent contract renewal with Williams has solidified his belief in the team's journey. Talking with team principal James Vowles, as quoted by Planet F1, Albon voiced his conviction in the potential of his team, despite results that have yet to reflect their progress behind the scenes. This move comes at a critical time as F1 edges closer to major regulatory changes set for 2026.
“I believe in the journey. That’s where it has all come down to,” Albon stated. “I looked at the work that was being done behind the scenes and you’ve been very open in where we are,” he added.
While performance on the track has been less than stellar, with Albon achieving near-points finishes in Saudi Arabia and Australia (both P11), the sentiment within the Williams camp is one of gradual but notable improvement. “I looked at the work that was being done behind the scenes and you’ve been very open in where we are.
“I think the openness and the honesty of where we are, even in the present, you weren’t ever trying to say it was better than it was. But there was always an action. There’s always an action for us to go down.
“It was the willingness of the people that were in the factory who wanted the change. When you look at the results to begin the season, it was almost like it’s unfair where we are because I feel like there is so much that has gone right.”
Albon continued to highlight the potential he sees for substantial growth within the team, which he felt was less apparent when he first arrived in 2022: “And I feel like there’s clearly so much room now for us to grow, where I didn’t feel necessarily that was the case when I first joined.
“I’m hoping the fact that I believe in this team, to everyone at the factory, that’s reason in itself to realize that we all can do this,” he said.
Team Principal James Vowles shared that Albon's choice to stay was met with great enthusiasm, unusually more so than when Vowles himself joined Williams. Adding a touch of humor, Vowles noted upon Albon being applauded by the team when he joined the team for 2-23, succeeding Jost Capito, “was a better reaction than when I joined.”
This enthusiastic reception perhaps speaks to Albon’s emerging role not just as a driver, but as a key motivator and figure of stability within the team.