From 17 to 102 points: Inside Williams' F1 resurgence with Albon
Alex Albon believes that he is "in a good place" at Williams amid the best season for the British team since 2016.
"What you’re seeing this year comes from a lot of the changes we made a couple of years ago. I’m happy where I am."- Alex Albon on the resurgence of Williams
After hugely disappointing years, including a points-less finish in the 2020 COVID-hit year, it has been a resurgent comeback for the James Vowles-led team.
"When I first joined the team, there was an element of just being low down. I think they kind of expected, 'This is the way and this is where we belong,'" the Thai-British driver said.
"There’s been a huge shift in terms of open-mindedness, willingness to experiment in general, and this hunger to move and be a top team. That’s very much down to James and the key individuals within the team who’ve moved that [dial]. It’s not an easy thing to do, and it shouldn’t go unnoticed just how different the atmosphere is in the team from day one when I joined to now."
Albon and Williams bounce back
After scoring just 17 points across the whole of the 2024 season, Williams now sit on 102 points, with Albon scoring 70 of them in what has been a prolific season, while teammate Carlos Sainz also collected the team's first podium since 2017 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
"It’s interesting to me, because the step from ’23 to ’24—people must have seen that as a backstep in terms of performance—but actually the ground roots of the team changed the most at that point," continued Albon, explaining where he saw the biggest change in the team.
"That’s been one of the biggest steps of all the years I’ve spent with the team. What you’re seeing this year comes from a lot of the changes we made a couple of years ago. I’m happy where I am."
It's also been a major rebound from Albon after he was replaced at Red Bull after a disappointing 2020 season, becoming the team's reserve driver for the 2021 season.
Now, after impressive seasons back behind the wheel, there is much more expectation around Williams for 2026, but that is not coming from the inside.
"I like that James is very honest about our weaknesses and strengths as a team, and it makes the journey believable. It’s not, 'Next year we’re going to be at the very front.' It’s a calculated, realistic plan he has in mind. So far, it feels like we’re on the road he’s explained, and that makes me feel like I’m in a good place."
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