Formula 1 veteran, Alex Albon, has drawn striking parallels between his and Carlos Sainz’s transition to the renowned Williams team. Having spent four seasons with Williams, Albon has firsthand experience of the shift from a top-tier rival team, a journey that Sainz is currently embarking on, leaving Ferrari to join Williams.
Sainz, a distinguished figure in the F1 circuit with four race wins under his belt, has joined Williams after participating in 90 F1 races for Ferrari. His previous team had a phenomenal run in the last season, finishing as a title contender. Williams is optimistic that Sainz, with his impressive track record, will significantly contribute to their aspiration of constructing a championship-winning team.
Interestingly, Sainz is not the only one at Williams with insights into the workings of a leading team. Albon himself has had a productive 18-month tenure with Red Bull before joining Williams. He confessed that Sainz’s candid discussions about Williams’ car’s shortcomings compared to Ferrari’s evoke memories of his initial days at Williams.
When asked about the prospect of improving as a driver with Sainz as his teammate, Albon, while addressing selected media outlets including Motorsport Week in Bahrain, responded affirmatively. He lauded Sainz’s communication skills and ability to articulate his feelings about the car and its direction. Albon also noted that Sainz’s experiences mirrored his own when he switched from Red Bull to Williams, where he immediately noticed the differences in the cars.
Williams is heading into the new season in a much better position than it was a year ago. There is a growing belief that the team could be at the forefront of a closely contested midfield pack. Albon shared that both he and Sainz have provided similar feedback to the engineers about the team’s 2025 machine, the FW47. He praised Sainz’s adaptability and how they’ve been speaking the same language regarding the car’s feedback.
The team’s boss, James Vowles, who led the recruitment of Sainz, is all praises for his new addition. He expressed his amazement at the speed with which Sainz has adapted to the team, describing it as “mind-blowing.” Vowles further highlighted Sainz’s concise feedback and his knack for boosting team morale with just a few words.
In conclusion, the shift of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz to Williams is a promising development for the team. Their shared experiences from their previous top-tier teams and their ability to provide constructive feedback could be the elements that propel Williams to their ambitious goal of building a championship-winning team.