Alexander Albon (THA) Williams Racing on the grid. 01.07.2023. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 10, Austrian Grand Prix, Spielberg, Austria, Sprint Day.
Alex Albon says his long-term goal in Formula 1 is fixated on wanting to win races, adding he will “naturally have to look elsewhere” if Williams ever stops making “progress”.
The Anglo-Thai driver commenced his F1 career with Red Bull’s sister side, then known as Toro Rosso, in 2019 and was rewarded with a surprise promotion to the senior team midway through his rookie season.
After impressing alongside Max Verstappen in the remainder of that year, Albon struggled throughout the course of 2020 and was dropped at the end of that campaign.
But since returning with Williams in 2022 Albon has steadily rebuilt his reputation, thriving in the role of team leader within the ranks of the rebuilding Grove-based squad.
Amid Logan Sargeant’s troubles in the sister FW45 car, Albon has scored the entirety of Williams’ 11 points this season, propelling the iconic British outfit to seventh in the Constructors’ Championship.
“It feels like it’s been a great season so far,” he told The Race before the F1 summer break. “Obviously, we’re still only halfway through it. But it just feels like everything’s connecting.
“A year with the team really does help. It feels like you have a much stronger base to build on, a lot more knowledge and experience from the year before so you can already pick up the limitations, the negatives of the car, you already start thinking about them and addressing them on the sim or in FP1 straight away.
“And at the same time, just having a quicker car just puts everything more in the spotlight.
“I definitely feel like I’ve made a step forward. But also the car has to a point where it just puts us more in the spotlight.
“When we are there to score points, we’re scoring points and that obviously attracts much more attention.
“Things are going very well. That being said, in my eyes, there’s still more to come.”
Alexander Albon (THA) Williams Racing FW45. 22.07.2023. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 12, Hungarian Grand Prix, Budapest, Hungary, Qualifying Day.
Having slumped to the foot of the standings for the fourth time in five years in 2022, Williams’ improved competitiveness this year has derived from the introduction of a substantial upgrade package in Canada.
Albon utilised the heavily updated FW45 charger to come home seventh in Montreal before also registering an encouraging eighth-place finish at the British Grand Prix.
But while the 27-year-old insists that he is committed to hauling Williams up the order, Albon concedes that his long-term desire remains to win races and titles.
When asked how he would balance aiding Williams’ rebuild with other immediate opportunities that might emerge elsewhere, Albon said: “That’s it, it’s a balance.
“You say I’m young, but I’m not young! I’m actually 27. Which sounds young! In an F1 context it’s not that young. It’s actually near to my peak.
“I would say there’s a good balance between you driving at your best and the experience and the knowledge you have. You’ve got to weigh that [thought] up with how I’m fully invested in this team in terms of bringing this team up forwards.
“It is a longer-term contract. So as long as the progress is there, then this is going to be a long-term thing.
“But at the same time, you have to also realise, I do feel like I’m driving at my best, I do think I have more to give. I still want to score podiums, I still want to win races.
“My focus is on making sure Williams is that team. But beyond that, if for whatever reason it does become difficult, you do naturally have to look elsewhere.
“Of course, the focus is on the team and let’s see what happens in a few years’ time.”
With Carlos Sainz’s future at Ferrari uncertain, Albon has been touted as a potential option to partner Charles Leclerc at the Italian marque beyond 2024.
The ex-Red Bull associate claims the disastrous ending to his stint with the current World Champions would never deter him from the prospect of returning to a front-running team if it became a viable option.
“You back yourself,” he expressed when questioned on the idea of trading being the team leader at Williams for a de-facto number two position with another side.
“I’m more experienced. I feel like I’m a much better driver than I was when I had the first opportunity at a top team.
“In that way, I’m not afraid of that at all.
“The focus is on Williams and making sure we bring this team up to the front. And then let’s see what happens.
“I want to go forward and the team wants to progress, I’m sure the team also in some ways understands if there is another avenue to go down, they wouldn’t hold me back for a long time.
“So that is [something] to consider. I know what you mean by that. But you’ve got to back yourself regardless.”
Keyword: Albon will ‘look elsewhere’ if Williams F1 stop making ‘progress’