Albon and the possible scenarios
The news of Hamilton's move to Ferrari in 2025 has sparked other market rumors relating to next year and again linked to the seven-time world champion, albeit indirectly: who will be the driver who will replace him at Mercedes? Obviously there was no shortage of names of those who meet the requirements to land in Brackley, including the current Williams representative Alex Albon. The 27-year-old Anglo-Thai is in fact one of the most popular not only for a possible agreement with Mercedes, but also for a possible return to Red Bull, a team he joined in 2019 and then obtained a podium the following year. After an experience in the DTM in 2021, Albon then returned to F1 in 2022, remaining in Williams.
Aggression on the track
Author of 27 of the 28 points scored by the Grove team in the last Constructors' World Championship, Albon was repeatedly the protagonist of very positive performances, recognized above all by the Team Principal James Vowleswho also praised the personality of his pilot: “It's fiercely competitive – he explained to Speedweek – in reality they are two different characters. If you talked to him now, you would think of the nicest man he ever met and who drove a fast car, but if you put on the helmet you see a little more of the aggression in him coming through and taking no prisoners. That's what I like about him. He has a maturity that has made its way“.
The sample
Still analyzing the profile of his driver, Vowles provided further details on Albon's growth from the beginning of 2023 to today: “The Alex I met at the beginning, when I joined the team, was a little restrained in some actions – he added – perhaps he wasn't as confident in his abilities as he should have been. The year-end Alex really came out of his shell and I described him as a champion. I've been lucky enough to work with many champions in my life, and I'm incredibly happy that he's here. Obviously it has become the backbone of our success“.
The 2024 goals
As well as other drivers, Albon also results in contract expires at the end of 2024. An aspect which, combined with transfer rumors and the possibility of other good performances in this championship, could make his stay at Williams difficult: “What I want from him right now is for him to know what makes him and the team faster – he concluded – must be demanding and must ensure that his requests are satisfied. I think he is now very sure of himself and the direction he is following, but the performance is never that of just one driver, rather that of the entire engineering team working with you to get every millisecond. I think that we have greater potential“.
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