Albon: We had to keep our elbows wide

A few years ago it seemed that Alex Albon’s return to Formula 1 and switch to Williams was a last chance to save his career. And now he is considered one of the most promising racers, and many teams are showing interest in him – and all because, even while driving a car that was far from the fastest, he managed to achieve impressive results.

Of the 28 points earned by Williams during the season, 27 were scored by Albon, helping the team to 7th place in the Constructors’ Championship.

“I’m very proud of the way we raced this year,” Alex said in an interview with the official championship website. – If I remember how the season developed, I would say that the race in Melbourne was a bit disappointing (Albon was sixth, but made a mistake and crashed the car), where I missed a good opportunity. But other than that incident, it feels like we took every opportunity to score points.

It wasn’t easy, in most cases we had to spread our elbows wide. I think that’s partly why we were ahead of the other cars in the middle of the pack and earned points. And the rest simply missed these opportunities.

Last year my goal was more to show what I can do and prove to the team that the decision to take me was the right one. Before this season, it seemed to me that that task was accomplished, and in 2023 it was already necessary to help the team rise to a higher level. Together with James Vowles, along with the whole team, we tried to understand what could help us finish in the top ten.

My career in Formula 1 has been difficult, but I believe that now that I have signed a longer contract, I am already on solid footing and confident in my abilities. I know the team supports me and trusts me completely.”

One of the key decisions made by James Vowles, who only took over as head of Williams this year, was for the team to stop upgrading the car early and move on to preparing for the next season.

The latest technical innovations appeared on the FW45 in Canada, i.e. 14 stages before the end of the championship. Williams’ closest rivals continued to refine their technique, but this did not stop the Grove team from retaining 7th place.

“It was actually a bit of a survival measure,” Albon admitted. “We knew that after Canada there were six or seven races ahead where we knew we would have a chance to earn points. We focused all our efforts on preparing for the next season, so we stopped modifying the car. We have made a huge step forward compared to last year and want to make even more progress next year.

I feel like the team is on the rise, there’s no doubt about that. I have already done a lot of work on the simulator in connection with creating a new car. I see this progress, I see that the team is hungry for success. The gap with the leaders is still wide, and we still have a lot of work to do. Of course I want to help the team, I want to be part of this journey, but time will tell.

I don’t plan to drive for Williams until I’m forty, but I’ll see where the team goes. I have time and I want to see how everything will turn out. I feel appreciated by the team and enjoy working with them.”