Albon coy over Williams F1 future: 'Time will tell'

Alex Albon has conceded that “time will tell” where his Formula 1 future lies amid rumours of a move away from Williams.

The Thai-Briton has been tipped as one of the favourites to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year when the seven-time World Champion joins Ferrari.

Albon has been a strong performer for Williams ever since he linked up with the Grove-based squad in 2022, returning to the grid following a difficult stint with Red Bull.

When asked if he will race for Williams next season or if he has the option to race elsewhere, Albon told media including RacingNews365: “Let's see. Time will tell.

“My focus is on 2024. Let's keep it like that. The real focus is on making sure that we make progress for 2025.

“If the team are aware of where I want them to be, it will be a long-term contract. It will be all the way or nothing.”

Albon 'very close to my peak'

Albon has previously outlined that his next F1 contract will be an important one as he approaches the stage of his career when he feels he can extract peak performance.

The 27-year-old asserted that he feels he is deserving of a car that can compete towards the front of the field, something that Williams has been unable to provide for several years.

“The reason why I say about my age is also because I feel like I'm very close to my peak,” he said.

“There are always improvements to be done and there are still areas to improve. But generally with my experience now and where I am, I feel like I am deserving of a car that can score podiums and fight for wins.

“That's just being totally honest with how I see myself. More than anything, I want that team to be Williams and that's where I put all my work and all my efforts into.

“Outside of that, it’s just how does it fall into place? It's very clear to me, especially when you see the driver market, there's a huge interest in teams wanting the same drivers for 2025 or 2026.”