Alex Albon has been the dominant driver throughout his Williams stint, comprehensively beating his teammates Nicholas Latifi and Logan Sargeant. That was the case until Franco Colapinto joined this season. With the Argentine coming in, Albon seems to be under pressure.
F1 Nation podcast host Tom Clarkson discussed the same with former Haas driver Esteban Gutierrez, who claimed that Albon‘s behavior has changed ever since Colapinto joined him at Williams. When asked if Albon is rattled, Gutierrez replied,
“Ever since Franco joined, there seems to be something going on track. Possibly his (Albon’s) attitude has not changed outside of the car but certainly on track, there has been some differences. So, hopefully, he will find a good balance there”.
Another stunning race in 2024! This one had it all: brilliance, drama, controversy and a wonderful atmosphere. Thanks to Esteban and Laura for their excellent analysis #F1Nation https://t.co/u7akJASAwU
— Tom Clarkson (@TomClarksonF1) October 28, 2024
Albon may indeed be feeling the tension as for the first time during his time at Williams, he seems to have a teammate who can challenge him week in and week out. The same is also reflected in the standings as with five points to his name, Colapinto has already scored almost half of Albon’s tally (12) this season despite competing in 14 fewer races.
With these impressive showings, Colapinto has also attracted interest from several teams. However, with all the 10 teams barring one (Sauber) having finalized their line-ups for 2025, the Argentine may have to wait for at least another year before he gets his opportunity.
Colapinto denies having any links with Red Bull
Soon after Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko publicly claimed that his side are keeping a close eye on Colapinto’s performances, several reports emerged that the Austrian team may sign him for their sister outfit RB. However, Colapinto has denied having any links whatsoever with Red Bull.
He made it clear that he is still without a seat for the 2025 season and so is targeting a seat in 2026. With Colapinto having claimed that he is hoping to join the F1 grid in 2026, it seems that his links with Sauber/Audi were also just rumors and nothing more.
If Colapinto is not going to get a full-time seat in F1 next year, he is likely to stay at Williams as a reserve driver. This will put more pressure on Albon, who will be joined by four-time Grand Prix winner Carlos Sainz at Williams next year. Therefore, if Albon struggles to match Sainz, then Williams may even consider replacing him with Colapinto next year.
