Alex Albon has driven magnificently since returning to Formula 1 this season, following a one-year hiatus spent racing in the DTM; however, the Thai driver is well and truly back in F1 for the foreseeable future following his long-term contract with Williams.
Albon’s road to getting to where he is today has been an incredibly bumpy one, with it being somewhat rare for a driver to leave the championship at a young age but return stronger than ever before.
That’s exactly what Albon has done, since he was dropped by Red Bull for Sergio Pérez at the end of the 2020 season.
The Thai driver rose to fame quickly in F1 in 2019, where he was promoted to race alongside Max Verstappen after just half a season at AlphaTauri in his rookie year.
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However, after a disappointing 18-month spell at the Austrian team, the Thai driver was dropped to the Red Bull side-lines, where he spent a year racing in the DTM as a result.
Throughout his year out, Red Bull were adamant that they’d get Albon back into F1 for 2022, which they did after agreeing a seat for the 26-year-old at Williams.
Since returning, Albon hasn’t looked back, as he’s taken Williams from strength to strength in what is arguably the weakest car on the grid.
Albon has managed to reach Q2 on a number of occasions this season and has even scored four points along the way.
This is considerably better than team-mate Nicholas Latifi, who is yet to score one.
Due to his success, Albon was offered a long-term contract with the British side, which he happily accepted.
The Thai driver who was forced to sit out the recent Italian Grand Prix after being diagnosed with appendicitis, which he quickly received surgery for, is confident that his team can do “better, much better”.
Albon thinks the team have “maximised” the potential of the FW44 but that they obviously “want more”.
“Williams can do better, much better,” he told RacingNews365.
“If you look at the races where we’ve scored points [Australia, Miami, Belgium], we’ve really maximised [our potential]. At the other races, you see P11, P12, P13, always somewhere around there.
“Realistically, though, those results come about via DNFs [from other drivers] or by consistent driving and good work [from Williams]. Compared to last year, I think we are starting in about the same position. What is the case now, however, is that Haas and Alfa Romeo have a bit more pace than they had last year.
“I think we are doing well. take advantage of the teams that are struggling – that will take us to Q2 or that will take us to a points finish. But of course we want more.”
To achieve better results going forward, Albon wants to incorporate what he learnt whilst at Red Bull, an experience he “gained a lot” from.
The Williams driver wants to see the team set-up the car similar to how reigning World Champion Verstappen sets his car up, which involves making the car turn more sharply.
Albon wants the exact same thing for his FW44, after admitting that himself and Verstappen prefer a sharp front-end.
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“We basically have the same thing,” he added.
“These tyres are bigger and more air is moved around them aerodynamically – and then there’s also the problem with the floor design.
“We still struggle at low speed, especially compared to the top teams. We know exactly what we want – we want more grip at the front. At low speed more at the front and at high speed a little more grip at the rear, that’s the goal.
“The experience at Red Bull helps, because I now understand what a car needs to go fast – a good feeling at the front is always good, but it’s the overall feeling that should be nice.
“It allows me to know which direction to go with the set-up. I have already had to use that experience and gained a lot this year.”