Since joining Williams in 2022, Alex Albon has had an easy time at the team. Performance-wise, the Grove-based squad may have been a backmarker, but when it comes to outshining teammates, he has faced little challenge.
Albon had to deal with Nicholas Latifi and Logan Sargeant first — two drivers who struggled comprehensively to land their feet properly in F1. Latifi had been an incumbent at Williams even before Albon joined, yet the Canadian could not put in decent performances to be anywhere close to the former Red Bull driver.
Williams had promoted their Academy driver, Sargeant, hoping that he’d be an upgrade on Latifi. But he gave them more of the same with crashes and a lack of points finishes. Williams replaced him with Franco Colapinto, midway into the 2024 season, and the Argentine put up somewhat of a good fight. At least enough to make Albon sweat.
But now that a proven race winner like Carlos Sainz has made his way to Williams, things are surely going to get tougher for Albon. The Thai-British driver, however, is not worried about it.
“If I have to be honest, I don’t feel extra pressure,” Albon said per FormulaPassion.it.
“Maybe I see it differently from others, but for me the stronger the partner, the better I can compete.”
“It’s great to have Carlos onboard”
Alex Albon looks ahead to 2025 with his new teammate Carlos Sainz pic.twitter.com/KUqSTJX0NV
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) February 14, 2025
Sainz, a four-time Grand Prix winner, who was regularly competing at the front with Ferrari, will have to get used to a much slower Williams car in a month. However, together, Albon believes that they can drive the team forward.
Talking about capitalizing on Sainz’s Ferrari experience, Albon added, “I think we will work well together, even at the simulator we go in the same direction. In addition, it is bringing a lot of information from Ferrari, which has a different way of working but is very interesting for both the team and myself”.
Albon should still be Williams’ main man
Williams will most certainly not treat Sainz as a number two driver, owing to his race-winning experience. James Vowles was desperate for the Spaniard’s signature because he was sure about Sainz’s ability to contribute heavily to the team’s success as one of the most solid and insightful talents on the grid.
However, Albon has been extremely pivotal to whatever growth Williams has seen in recent years.
When Colapinto came in last year, the Argentine did outperform him for the first few races. But towards the end, Albon bounced back to show why is a reliable option for Williams.
So, both Albon and Sainz may ideally work together as a unit, instead of stepping on each other’s toes. At least in the initial stages.
Williams is expected to be among the worst teams in 2025, so their drivers’ feedback will be important from a long-term perspective. That’s because Vowles and Co. want to target 2026 when they will aim to make a significant step forward in performance and climb up the pecking order.
