Alexander Albon is the driver at Williams and with a multi-year deal, he can lead the team going forward. It is a different role than he previously held at Red Bull Racing alongside Max Verstappen, although Albon states in an exclusive interview with GPblog that, in retrospect, he would handle his time at Red Bull differently.
Williams' new leader
Things have moved fast in recent years for Albon. At the end of 2018, he moved to Formula E after finishing third in the Formula 2 championship. But suddenly a seat became available at Toro Rosso. Helmut Marko called and offered the driver a spot. This allowed the British-Thai driver to return to the brand he had been part of in his academy years.
Six months at Toro Rosso, a year and a half at Red Bull Racing and a year on the sidelines as Red Bull's reserve driver have taught the current Williams driver a lot. He is now considered the front-runner for the Grove-based team, where he also signed a multi-year deal this season. With the departure of Nicholas Latifi at the end of the year, he is now the man to carry the team.
"I would say that [being number one] doesn’t affect me at all. What is different is that there is a different role at Williams because of the experience and knowledge I bring from Red Bull. In that way, I have ideas and solutions because of that information I have gained spending time at Red Bull. But not really in terms of number one and number two," Albon said in a conversation with GPblog.
Lessons from Red Bull
When asked if the move to Red Bull might have come too soon, he sounds in agreement. "If I did it now it would be different. With experience and knowledge, you tend to understand the different aspects and what Formula 1 is and what you need to do, who you need to be to perform at your best. There’s a lot of stuff in terms of a technical point of view, communication, political point of view and the driving point of view."
Meanwhile, at 26 years old and with 55 Grands Prix behind his name, Albon is no longer a 'rookie'. Williams appointed him as George Russell's replacement for good reason. Albon has already scored four points this season with Williams, who once again sit at the bottom of the World Championship.
"Experience teaches you that, you can’t shortcut time. It’s not for free. I look back knowing that if I knew what I knew now, things would’ve gone differently. But I don’t blame myself for that at all. That’s normal. That’s how things are sometimes," Albon concluded.
He is hoping for a better weekend in Japan after the Singapore Grand Prix. In Singapore, Albon ended his race early after making contact with the wall. The Singapore race was also his first GP after his appendicitis and surgery. So as the week goes by, Albon will also become fitter again.
This article was made in collaboration with Ludo van Denderen