Alex Albon sees Williams competing with McLaren at the beginning of the season
After solid pre-season trials for his team, Alex Albon is confident to see Williams climb up the rankings after finishing the 2022 season in last place among constructors.
The results of pre-season tests in F1 are always to be analyzed with caution. Whether in terms of performance or reliability, each team may be inclined to conceal their true abilities in order to not reveal too much information to their competitors.
During the tests that took place last week in Bahrain, it seemed that the new McLaren was experiencing significant teething problems. Overheating brakes, significant aerodynamic drag, slow lap times… In contrast, Williams is among the teams that completed the most laps, demonstrating remarkable reliability, which was praised by the new boss of Grove, James Vowles.
The Williams drivers Logan Sargeant and Alex Albon respectively completed 229 and 210 laps of the Sakhir circuit, compared to 170 and 162 for their counterparts at McLaren, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Could all hopes be allowed for the venerable team founded by Sir Frank Williams? At least, that is what Albon wants to believe.
In terms of pace, I think that several teams have taken real steps forward, such as Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo. Just behind them, we have our potential rivals, AlphaTauri and McLaren. I believe that we are clearly heading in the right direction. We have already taken a step forward, but we must continue to improve.
The Thai driver is ambitious for this new season. After his first year at Williams in 2022, he is now ready to fully embrace the role of leader to help the team consistently fight for points.
