F1 team boss praises driver’s rise, backs him to challenge Verstappen differently

Williams Racing team principal James Vowles has hailed Alex Albon’s mental strength, particularly in light of his performances since Carlos Sainz joined the Grove-based team. The 46-year-old also backed his driver to perform better against Max Verstappen.

Albon, who joined Williams Racing at the start of the 2023 campaign, has largely outperformed several of his teammates. The Thai-born driver has carried that dominance into the 2025 season alongside Sainz, something which has surprised Vowles less. Sharing his thoughts on the 29-year-old’s performances via Motorsports total, he stated:

"In 2023, Alex took a big step forward and continued to improve every year. That's my impression of him. He's improved every year, and even when something goes wrong, he is so incredibly strong mentally that he can deal with it, come back the next day, and want more."

Praising his mental strength, the British motorsport chief expressed confidence in how the driver would now compete against reigning world champion Max Verstappen:

"If you put him against Max [Verstappen] today, he would be a completely different driver than before."

Alexander Albon

Albon and Verstappen as teammates

Alex Albon and Max Verstappen were teammates between 2019 and the conclusion of the 2020 season. The Thailand-born driver struggled to match the performance of the Dutchman during their stint together.

Albon, who was brought in as a replacement for Pierre Gasly at the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix, was later demoted to the role of reserve driver following the 2020 campaign, where he finished P7 in the drivers’ standings. In the same season, Verstappen finished in third place behind Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas

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