Alex Albon was forced to restart his Formula 1 career with Williams last year, having spent a year on the sidelines in 2021.
The Thai driver impressed enough with Toro Rosso to earn a move to Red Bull during his early F1 days, however his form with the energy drink giants was not as impressive and Albon found himself without a seat in 2021.
The 26-year-old worked incredibly hard as Red Bull’s test driver in his year off the grid and this earned him a move to Williams, where he has thrived ever since.
Albon will be the team leader this year with Williams and has said that he is enjoying the opportunity to spend back-to-back seasons with the same team.
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“It’s the first time I’ve spend two years in the same team. It’s a different feeling going into your second year with a team. You feel like you’ve learnt a lot from the year before,” he told Daily Star Sport.
“There’s none of this getting to know people and it being like day one at school. It’s more about getting down to business and taking steps in the right direction.”
Having spent last year working with Nicholas Latifi, Albon will be leading the team with American rookie Logan Sargeant as his teammate this season, something which the Thai driver has admitted he is excited about.
“It’s not something that you go from one day to the next being like ‘I’m the team leader now.’ It’s a natural situation and experience that I had at Red Bull,” he said.
“It puts me in a different position where I can talk about things I’ve experienced in a different car, which is good feedback for the guys at the factory.
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“Naturally, as you mature with age and get to know the team better, we understand each other more. You build a bond where you’re an integral part of the team.”
Williams finished bottom of the championship last season and will be hoping to get off the foot of the table this year.
The signing of James Vowles as team principal is certainly a step in the right direction for Williams but only time will tell if their car is able to score points on a more regular basis this year.