Alex Albon is today the star driver at Williams and has a multi-year contract with the Grove-based team, who have big plans for the future. But not too long ago, Albon was on the sidelines, dealing with the downsides of being an F1 driver. It was Franz Tost’s advice that likely helped him find his mojo again.
During a segment on Williams’ YouTube channel, Albon was asked about the best advice he ever received in life. Without taking too much time to think, he spoke about something Tost, his first team principal in F1, told him.
“The first thing he said was, ‘don’t care’,” Albon said. With time, the Thai-British driver understood what the former Toro Rosso boss meant.
The difference between F2 and F1 was not the driving, Albon insisted. “It was everything around it. The media, and this feeling of some pressure that was not there.”
Albon added that learning to ‘let go’ is liberating. He believes he got into F1 not just because he focused on driving, but because he understood the other commitments, with the media and sponsors.
Albon’s resurgence in F1
Albon, who was hailed as one of the best young talents in F1, got into the Red Bull seat from Toro Rosso, just a few races into his rookie campaign. But perhaps, he was not quite ready as he struggled to live up to Red Bull’s expectations.
Max Verstappen was his teammate and even the best find it difficult to match him. After a dismal 2020 campaign, Albon lost his place in 2021, spending the season as Red Bull’s reserve driver.
Two points!!✌️ Andiamo @WilliamsRacing pic.twitter.com/iRXnqrbM2D
— Alex Albon (@alex_albon) September 4, 2024
However, just a year later, he found a spot at Williams, where he became the lead driver, and was able to consistently fight for points, whenever the car allowed him to. In 2024, he signed a multi-year contract extension with the British team, which will keep him in Grove beyond 2026.
