Alex Albon: “For me, this has been my best year in F1.”

Alex Albon has obtained 27 out of Williams’ 28 points, finishing in the top 10 in Grand Prix races seven times and also scoring in a sprint race. He started in the top six at Zandvoort, Monza, and Las Vegas, and his only real mistake occurred with a spin in Australia.

Albon proud of his season

He frequently took advantage of the car’s good straight line speed to successfully defend his position against potentially faster cars. « I am very proud of my performance. I wouldn’t say I’m the most arrogant person, but I have to admit, I feel like I had a very good season. […] I felt like most of my races weren’t straightforward, there were races where we fought, we fought, we fought all the time ».

« But I appreciate it. I think it’s the environment in which I thrive. For me, it has been my best year in F1. This bond I have with the team has really helped. I feel like it’s where we have been able to execute everything we have done so well. »

The Thai driver acknowledged that the shape of the car was inconsistent. However, he insisted that the team always extracted the best out of the car during a weekend. « It’s strange because many people think that we are very inconsistent, but personally, I think that the execution of each weekend has been very logical. » Before adding, « the car itself can be inconsistent at times. But we know that the Monza and Vegas tracks suit us well. We know that cold tracks give us an advantage. »

For Albon, Williams knows where to improve

Albon assesses the weaknesses to improve on his car. « We know which tracks don’t work for us. Windy tracks don’t work for us, and narrow tracks don’t either », before reminding nonetheless, « our car has its strengths and one of our biggest goals next year is to address its weaknesses. But the execution has been very solid, I believe, and we have made the most of the opportunities ».

Williams has announced a new addition to their ranks. Pat Fry, the new technical director, will bring his expertise to the FW46, which will also be the first car designed under the guidance of team principal James Vowles, who started earlier this year. This arrival gives hope to Albon for the upcoming season.

« Time will tell. Obviously, he has just joined the team, I think he is catching up very quickly. I also have the feeling that he understands the areas in which we need to improve, and he will offer this advice and mentoring to the team. So, I am very happy to have him on board ».

« We did the bare minimum to finish P7. And now, our sights are set on next year. Obviously, we have Pat on board, and it will be James’ first real year where he will have a real role in the car’s development. »