Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Alex Albon

  • Albon signs multi-year contract with Williams

    Alex Albon has signed a multi-year contract extension with Williams, which will keep him at the team into Formula 1’s new regulation era when it kicks off in 2026.

    The London-born Thai driver was handed a race seat opportunity by Williams for the start of the 2022 season having lost his drive with Red Bull at the end of 2020 and then spent a year as the team’s test and reserve driver.

    Upon his return to front-line racing, Albon quickly showed his class with a series of assured drivers, using his prowess in the improved 2023 Williams FW45 to net 27 of the team’s eventual 28 points that season, a feat that earned them P7 in the constructors’ standings – their best finish since 2017.

    And despite Williams being one of two squad in 2024 – along with Kick Sauber – yet to get off the mark, Albon put his faith in the Dorilton Capital-backed team heading into Formula 1’s new regulation cycle in 2026, signing a multi-year extension to remain at Williams.

    With Albon’s future confirmed, attention now switches to who will be racing next to him in 2025, with team having recently admitted that they’re speaking to “four or five Drivers” as they weigh up whether to continue with Logan Sargeant for a third season.

    The team are believed to be one of several considering employing the services of Mercedes junior and F2 racer, Kimi Antonelli.

    I am incredibly happy to be remaining with Williams Racing and to continue working with such a talented and dedicated team of people. It has been a difficult start to the year but since joining Williams we have made significant progress together and I have seen the huge changes happening behind the scenes to take us back to the front of the grid. This is a long-term project that I really believe in and want to play a key role in which is why I have signed a multi-year contract. The journey will take time but I am confident we are building the right team to move forward and achieve great things in the years to come.
    Albon on the news.

    We are delighted to secure Alex’s long-term future with Williams Racing. He has exceptional talent, technical input and dedication to the cause and this is a huge vote of confidence in Williams and the journey back to competitiveness that we are on. Since joining, Alex has consistently demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure, and signing him for the long-term is a big piece of the puzzle of moving us up the grid.
    James Vowles, Williams Team Principal.

  • Albon to take over Sargeant’s car after FP1 crash

    Williams have announced that Alex Albon will be taking over the car of his teammate Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the 2024 Australian Grand Prix weekend, following his crash in Free Practice 1.

    Towards the end of FP1, Albon lost control of his Williams FW46 at the exit of Turn 6 at Albert Park, running over the kerbs and then spinning out into the wall on the other side of the track.

    Luckily Albon was unharmed but he was forced to sit out of Free Practice 2 as Williams confirmed they have no third chassis available this weekend so they had to assess the damage to the car.

    With that damage to have been too significant to continue using the chassis, the team made the call for Albon to take over the car of teammate Sargeant.
    The Thai driver, last season claimed 27 of the team’s 28 points helped the team to finish P7 in the constructors’ championship.

    For Logan, he will now sit on the sidelines for the rest of the weekend, as Albon jumps into the American’s chassis from Free Practice 3 onwards.

    Due to the extensive damage sustained, [Williams are] forced to withdraw the chassis for the remainder of the Grand Prix. This chassis will be returned to the team’s HQ at Grove for repair. Due to the fact that a third chassis is unavailable, the team can confirm it has taken the decision for Alex to compete for the remainder of the weekend in the chassis that Logan Sargeant drove in FP1 and FP2.

    Statement from Williams.

    We are hugely disappointed that the damage sustained to the chassis has meant we need to withdraw it from the weekend. It’s unacceptable in modern day Formula 1 not to have a spare chassis, but it is a reflection of how behind we were in the winter period and an illustration of why we need to go through significant change in order to get ourselves in a better position for the future. As a result, we have had some very difficult decisions to make this afternoon. While Logan should not have to suffer from a mistake that he did not make, every race counts when the midfield is tighter than ever, so we have made the call based on our best potential to score points this weekend. This decision was not made lightly, and we cannot thank Logan enough for his graceful acceptance, demonstrating his dedication to the team; he is a true team player. This will prove a tough weekend for Williams, and this situation is not one that we will put ourselves in again.

    James Vowles, Team Principal on the news.

    I have to be totally honest and say that no driver would want to give up his seat. I would never want anything like this to happen. Logan has always been a consummate professional and a team player from day one, and this won’t be an easy one for him to take. At this point though, I cannot dwell on the situation and my only job now is to maximise our potential this weekend and work with the whole team to make sure we do the best job possible.

    Albon on the news.

  • FW46

    Williams have shown off the livery that will adorn their cars during the upcoming F1 season at a special launch ceremony in New York.

    After livery reveals from McLaren and Haas, it was the Grove outfit’s turn to present their colour scheme for the year ahead, with an evolved deep blue design which, according to the team “links Williams’ championship-winning heritage with its mission to return to the front of the grid”.

    Williams also took the opportunity to announce a new multi-year headline partnership with Komatsu, who are a leading manufacturer of construction, mining, forestry and industrial heavy equipment.
    The two parties previously enjoyed a successful partnership in the 1980s and 1990s, when Williams won a host of races and championships, including the supply of gearbox components for the title winning 1996 and 1997 cars.

    James Vowles was brought in as Team Principal early last year, to spark a new era of success, the operation enjoyed an immediate rise from the foot of the F1 constructors’ standings to seventh position in 2023 – with Alex Albon scoring all but one point.

    Albon will be continuing with the squad for a third successive campaign in 2024, with Logan Sargeant being retained for his second season in F1.

    It is a significant milestone to unveil the 2024 livery at an iconic location in New York City. Since joining Williams Racing a year ago, I’ve seen this team pull together to overcome a number of challenges and claim seventh in the Constructors’ Championship, which meant a great deal for everyone involved. We’ve also shown the world that we’re building the foundations for moving forward. We’ll continue to strengthen the team both on and off the track through improvements to our infrastructure, investing in our people, and attracting fantastic new partners like Komatsu. Of course, there’s still a long way to go on this journey together but I know our fans, partners and everyone at Grove HQ is pushing as one to create new history for this iconic team. It will take time, but everyone’s support is integral to help drive us towards success in the years to come. I’m looking forward to seeing what this season holds for us.

    Vowles at the Launch.

  • FW45

    Williams have shown off the eye-catching matte livery that will adorn their FW45 challenger during the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship.

    In a special unveiling ceremony at the Grove headquarters in the UK, Williams revealed their new look in the presence of the refreshed driver line-up of American rookie Logan Sargeant and incumbent driver, Alex Albon – with the team also announcing oil company Gulf as a new sponsor, along with other new partners.

    Not only will the team have a rookie driver, but they will head into the 2023 season with a rookie Team principal as well, with James Vowles moving over from his role as Motorsport Strategy Director at Mercedes to take the reins at Williams.

    Vowles is set to begin work at Grove on February 20th, three days before the drivers begin 2023 pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.

    FW45 Livery - Front 3 Quarter - AA23.jpg

    With the physical Williams FW45 set to hit the track at Silverstone shakedown on February 13th, the team confirmed that they had ‘taken the opportunity to heavily evolve the side concept’ on the new car thanks to ‘optimising the power unit cooling layout’ – in which Williams continue with Mercedes power for a 10th consecutive season.

    The team also promised that the FW45 would be more aerodynamically efficient than its FW44 predecessor, with modifications to the front suspension layout and major external aerodynamic surfaces also incorporated into the new machine’s design.

    The team has worked really hard last year and over the winter to address some key areas in our car, putting in the work to try and maximise what we get out of the car for 2023, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the FW45 can do. We also welcome new partners to the team this year, so it’s great to have them onboard.

    Albon on 2023.

    I’m really excited for the season to get started after what, for me, feels like a long winter! I’m super motivated and we’ve put a lot of hard work in. The car is looking amazing and it shows the huge effort the team has put in the off season, so I’m looking forward to getting started at Silverstone before heading out to Bahrain.

    Sargeant on his rookie F1 season.

    As Williams Racing continues its transformation, we’re proud to unveil this year’s livery. We are excited about this year’s car, and I cannot thank the entire team at Grove enough for their hard work to get ready for the season. I am delighted to welcome both new and existing partners to our journey. With our new Team Principal James Vowles joining us later this month, as well as our exciting driver line up of Alex and Logan, Williams Racing will be giving its all in 2023.

    Matthew Savage, Williams Racing Chairman of the Board.

  • Albon out of Italian GP, De Vries in

    Williams driver, Alex Albon will be missing the rest of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix after being diagnosed with appendicitis, with former Formula 2 and Formula E champion Nyck de Vries standing in for him.

    In the free practice sessions yesterday, Albon finished a promising 10th in FP2 and 11th in FP1 as Williams’ straight-line speed appeared to put them in the fight for points in Monza.

    However, ahead of the final practice session today, Williams announced the Thai driver will not be taking part in the remainder of the weekend.

    De Vries ran for Williams in FP1 at the Spanish Grand Prix and was at the track in Italy this weekend to perform similar duties for Aston Martin. As a result, the 27 year old will be making his Grand Prix debut this weekend racing alongside Nicholas Latifi.

    Williams Racing can confirm that, after feeling unwell this morning and seeking medical advice from the FIA and local hospital, Alex Albon is now undergoing treatment for appendicitis. Following on from this, we can confirm that the team’s Reserve Driver Nyck de Vries will drive in place of Alex for the remainder of the Italian Grand Prix weekend. Alex is in good spirits and the team wishes him a speedy recovery.

    A statement from the team.

  • Albon sticks with Williams

    Williams have announced that Alex Albon will continue to race for the team for 2023 and beyond, as part of a multi-year agreement with the British team.

    Albon joined Williams for this season as a replacement for George Russell, after Red Bull released the Thai driver from his contract – where he was fulfilling reserve driver duties.

    He (Alex) has delivered a strong set of results and scored all the team’s points this season through a 10th place in Australia and ninth in Miami.

    Before the ‘Silly’ Season had started, Albon refused to rule out a possible move to Aston Martin when Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement last week, before that seat was swiftly filled by Alonso.

    Its not been confirmed yet, on who will be driving with Alex Albon in the other Williams seat. Latifi hasn’t put the performance in they wanted this year and has been out performed by Albon who had been out of the car for a year. Some say, Williams is looking at their junior driver, Logan Sargeant or reigning Formula E Champion, Nyck de Vries.

    I am really excited to be staying with Williams Racing for 2023 and look forward to seeing what we can achieve as a team in the remainder of this season and next year. The team has made some strong gains this year and it’s exciting to continue this journey and further develop our learnings together.

    Alex Albon on his future.

    Alex is a tremendous driver and valued member of Williams Racing, so we’re thrilled to be able to confirm we will be working with him on a long-term basis. Alex brings a great blend of skill and insightful learnings that will help bring the team greater success in the future. He’s a fierce competitor, has proved a popular and loyal team member and we are delighted that he will provide a stable base for us to continue to develop in this new F1 car era.

    Jost Capito, Williams Team Principle.

  • Albon disqualified from Qualifying

    Alex Albon has been disqualified from the qualifying result, after his team were unable to provide the FIA with a sufficient fuel sample from the FW44.

    Albon qualified P16 in Melbourne, faring better than his teammate Nicholas Latifi, who was swiped by Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll into a heavy crash in Q1, for which Stroll received a three place grid penalty.

    Already with his own three place grid drop (ironically for his crash with Stroll), Albon had a lot of work to do coming into the weekend. Albon stopped on track after dropping out of Q1- with Williams later unable to provide the required 1.0 litre fuel sample to the FIA, as dictated by Artivle 6.5.2 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations. The driver was then disqualified from the results by the stewards.

    After qualifying, Car 23 had insufficient fuel to yield the required one litre sample.Given this situation, Car 23 is not in compliance with the requirements of Article 6.5 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations. According to Art. 6.5.2 competitors must ensure that a one litre sample of fuel may be taken from the car at any time. The procedure was followed however the one litre sample of fuel was unable to be taken. The stewards determine to apply the standard penalty for technical infringements. Therefore they took into account, that it shall be no defence to claim that no performance advantage was obtained. The stewards have received a request from Williams Racing to allow Car 23 to start the race. The stewards therefore grant permission for Car 23, Alex Albon to start the race.

    The Stewards statement.

    The late red flag in qualifying only gave drivers two minutes to cross the line from leaving the pitlane. That meant Albon had to queue at the end of the pitlane to gain track position ahead of the green light, and Williams head of vehicle performance Dave Robson believes that extended period out in the pitlane and the outlap “race” with fellow competitors may have contributed to Albon’s lack of fuel.

    We could see a problem as he came towards the pitlane at the end of that lap where something wasn’t quite right, so we opted to stop the car just to make sure we didn’t damage anything. I think the fact that we had to go and queue at the end of the pitlane after the red flag to get that lap in meant that the outlap was then a lot more aggressive than we had planned. So, I think that’s why we were a bit lower than we would’ve liked.

    Robson explained the verdict.
  • FW44

    FW44

    Williams have revealed their 2022 livery on a showcar today, with the British team conducting a shakedown with their real car at Silverstone.

    Which means Williams used one of their two allocated filming days to run the FW44 with new driver Alex Albon and returning driver Nicholas Latifi splitting the duties. The teams ambassador and ’09 World Champion, Jenson Button was also in attendance to see the new car turn its first laps.

    The team founded by Sir Frank Williams and now owned by Dorilton Capitol enjoyed improved fortunes last season to finish 8th in the constructors championship.

    The team from Grove, is having an similar approach to Red Bull, with teams keep to keep their secrets hidden on the new cars for as long as possible.

    “Over its history as an iconic Formula 1 team, Williams Racing has shown great strength and sophistication,” said Team Principal Jost Capito. “The new visual identity of the 2022 car perfectly encapsulates these characteristics that the staff, drivers and fans have demonstrated time and time again. As we move into the new era of our sport, the FW44 highlights the transition to the future, as well as acknowledging the timeless qualities that make us who we are. Last season we were thrilled and proud to make such strong advancements as a team, with a number of well-earned points-scoring results in addition to a podium.”

    Latifi added: “I’m a fan of the new livery. Keeping the blue was important as it’s synonymous with Williams Racing, but it’s a pattern we’ve not seen before and the fluorescent red will pop on track which I really like. It’s a fresh new look to start off the new era of F1. I’m super excited for testing in Barcelona, to get back behind the wheel, push and see what the car can do. Pre-season always feels like quite a long time, but it’s been really busy and there’s been a nice build-up at the factory with lots of hard work from everyone. The new regulations should allow for much better racing so I’m excited for the challenge and we will aim to gather some good data from testing, to take us into the first few races.”

    Albon, who replaces George Russell after a year as reserve for Red Bull, said: “The FW44 livery is clean and simple. I like that we’ve gone for more blue with the dynamic diamond finish and a little bit of red; it looks really good and I’m looking forward to seeing it out on track. The upcoming Barcelona track session will be about making sure we’re efficient with our time to best ensure we have a competitive package heading into the season. We don’t have many days before our first race and so we quickly need to understand which areas of the car are strong and where we need to make improvements. I’m sure it will be a little bit of a learning curve as we all try to learn how to get the most out of the new regulations, but the objectives and the way that we focus on this car is very much the same as in previous years. Ultimately, we’re all still trying to get a racing car around a track as quickly as possible.”

    My Opinion-

    You know what I absolutley love the car & suits. The different shades of blue again look really good in the way they’ve designed it, as well as the splash of red on the car too. The car just looks so clean and fresh but also keeping the blue which is known to the Williams team.

    The race suits look really nice! I’m not really a fan of the white ones so having dark suits are a lot better!

  • 15.02.22

    The last date for car reveal has been announced, this being Williams. The team from Grove will be showing the world their car on the 15th February, a week today with an online event at 1pm GMT.

    The team, which was sold by the Williams family to Dorilton Capital in the 2020 season, has previously indicated it will retain the traditional naming convention for its cars. The 2022 car is yet to be named.

    This year will see Nicholas Latifi in his third season with the British team. Following George Russell’s departure to Mercedes, former Red Bull driver Alex Albon will be returning to F1 after a year out will be taking the other spot at Williams.

    Heavily-revised regulations are sweeping through the sport for the 2022 campaign, which means that combined with the budget cap there is opportunity for teams like Williams to take a sizeable step forward from their efforts last season where they finished 8th overall with 23 points.

  • Alex Albon is back…

    The seats keep on going… I’m happy to say that Alex Albon is joining Williams Racing for 2022!

    This comes as George Russell announced he was driving for Mercedes next year, so it was only a matter of time till Williams announced their line up.

    Alex joint F1 in 2019 and made his debut with Toro Rosso, he then replaced Pierre Gasly at Red Bull Racing halfway through the season and then stayed at Red Bull for the 2020 season too. However it was over too quickly, as Red Bull announced they won’t retain him for the 2021 season and instead go for Sergio Perez. It then got announced the other week Perez will be staying at RB for the 22 season aswell.

    Alex got put into the test & reserve driver role for this year, whilst also competing in DTM.

    A Red Bull spokesperson told F1.com: “We have released Alex to become a Williams Racing driver in 2022 but retain a relationship with him that includes future options.”

    Albon said: “I am really excited and looking forward to returning to a Formula 1 race seat in 2022. When you take a year out of F1 it’s never certain you will make a return so I’m extremely thankful to Red Bull and Williams for believing in me and helping me on my journey back to the grid. It’s also been great to see all the progress Williams have been making as a team this year and I look forward to helping them continue that journey in 2022.”

    Nicholas Latifi’s contract was also up this year and it got announced at the same time as Alex’s that they will be team-mates for the 22 season. The pair use to be team-mates back in F2 where they drover for DAMs.

    Latifi said: “I’m excited to be continuing with Williams for another year; partly because of F1’s new technical regulations, but also because the team is moving in a more competitive direction with new owners, management and people on the technical side.

    My Opinion-

    I think this is great! I didn’t see Williams having two new drivers to the team, so I can understand why they wanted to retain Nicholas. For Alex its amazing to see him back, I felt like he wasn’t given a proper opportunity to show his talent before but now he is in a Williams and with a team who want to work their way back up the grid and Alex seems like the perfect driver to help them with that.

  • Perez retained for 2022

    The seats for 2022 are starting to fill up quick, as Red Bull announced on Thursday 26th that they will keep Sergio Perez for the 2022 season.

    Red Bull have been looking for a driver who will keep up with Max Verstappen and bring the fight to Lewis and Mercedes, they had been unsuccessful until this season…

    Perez has made a strong start for his first season with the team, he took four top five finishes in the first five races and then clenched his first win with the team in his sixth in Baku. Perez is currently sitting in 5th in the driver standings with 104 points, which is just four points away from Bottas.

    “Checo is a highly respected Team member and his experience and race-craft are invaluable as we fight for the Constructors’ Championship,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner. “His integration into the wider Team has been seamless and we have been impressed by his performances during the first half of the season which demonstrate what he’s capable of in our car.”

    What does it mean for Gasly & Albon?

    It looks like Gasly will be leading Alpha Tauri forwards, his had a very good season so far having grabbed points in all but three races this year, the team intend to secure fifth place in the constructors. AlphaTauri are yet to confirm their driver plans for the 2022 season but they are very much likely to keep it the same as the 2021 season.

    Now onto Albon, after not getting his seat renewed this season he went into the reserve driver role and to drive in DTM. Red Bull are impressed with the job Alex has been doing as the reserve, with clocking up miles in the simulator which has made Red Bull stronger this year, it seems they would want to keep him on.

    However, they realise he wants to race and they have said they are supportive of a move to a different team if he can make one work. There are two opportunities either at Williams or Alfa Romeo, both outside the Red Bull family.

    My Opinion-

    I think its a good move that Perez is staying for another year he seems to have done a lot of work within the team to help the championship fight. What shocked me the most, was the fact they announced it quite early, I thought they would of waited till the end of the season.

    It’s obviously a shame for Gasly and Albon as everyone wants to be in the best car, fighting for wins and podiums. But if they keep working on what their doing and being consistent I can see them both being back in a top car in the future!