Alex Albon believes he drives at the same high level as he has many of his Williams career, but he believes his outside perception has been changed by having Carlos Sainz as his teammate.
Sainz joined Albon, who was signed by Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season and has been in the Williams setup since 2022. The team got on track and improved, and while the addition of proven race winners has led to their stocks rising outside the team, Williams says he has known what he has competed over the past three years.
“Yes, yes, I think (perception) has changed,” Albon told F1’s Grid Podcast. “I think it was easy to dismiss me for my teammates. I think it would be easy to say, ‘Yeah, he’s fine, but I really don’t know how to quantify him as a driver.”
“And when James (Bowles, Team Principal) spoke to me early on about joining Carlos, I was in two positive ways. The first was that he would become a huge asset to the team in all of his experiences, and he was a quick driver.
“I was confident in who I was, but maybe it surprised some of the paddocks. I don’t think anyone who knows would be surprised. This is what I say, but I’ve driven in the past, and I’m pleased with how I performed this year.”
His reputation has been given external support, but Arcon says he is not interested in using it as a catalyst for potential movements for another team above the grid.
“I love Williams’ stories. I think we’re definitely in the right position. I’m not looking around,” he said. “I’m sure I’m here on the project. I think James and the Board are doing a great job, and that’s what I mean. There’s no reason to look around just by looking at the previous results.
Albon claims he has been working on his business the same way he did last season, but he argues that Williams’ big advancement in this year’s car has led to eye-catching results, leading to his performance being noticed more frequently.
“I don’t think anything has changed. I think I’ve been given a platform that shows me what I can do, more than anything,” he said. “So I think non-driving noise is very focused on driver outcomes and it looks like it was a great year — and while it was a great year for me, the car allowed me to get to that point.
“So, when I think about the results of achieving on different tracks, getting different points and getting good points, I think the P5S is a team-based sport.
“I’m hungry this year. I feel like I was able to show you what I can do. I always have an elbow stretch, a hunger mentality, and we’re in the middle. We’re always fighting, and I can go to any race knowing there’s a chance to score points.
“So, in that sense, the motivation is always strong. As a driver, it sounds really boring. Maybe it’s against the general trend of where the story goes, but I feel like I’m driving just like in an amazing year. But my process is very consistent.