Alex Albon insists that moving from Red Bull to Williams has not affected his motivation in F1, and that he remains determined to prove himself in the sport. The British-Thai driver began his Formula 1 career with the then-called Toro Rosso outfit in 2019, before being promoted to the main Red Bull outfit mid-season to replace Pierre Gasly, who in turn took Albon's place at the sister squad. Albon scored points at most races for the remainder of the campaign, and was retained by the team for 2020. However, he was replaced by Sergio Perez for 2021, and instead became Red Bull's test and reserve driver before returning to the F1 grid in 2022 with Williams. Despite the difference in size between the two outfits, Albon feels that the transition has not been that difficult. "Of course Red Bull has financial advantages, which still have an effect even with a budget cap," Albon told German publication Auto Motor und Sport . "But in terms of structure and working methods, both teams are very similar. The dynamics also always depend on the personalities of the employees."
Not battling at the front has "no influence" on Albon's motivation
During his time with Red Bull, Albon was regularly in contention for points as well as podiums. At Williams, the goals are different, but the 26-year-old has lost none of his determination to succeed. "It has no influence on my motivation," Albon explained. "I'm determined to prove to people what I'm capable of. I still have a few scores to settle with Formula 1. "Of course, the perspective is a bit different. Points are like victories for us. But you soon understand that. "I still have a lot of fun. We can see the progress. It would be more difficult if we didn't develop further."
How things could soon look "very different" for Williams
Albon admits that the FW44 did not initially deliver on the promise that Williams had aimed for, but that hopes remained for an improvement during the campaign. "We had high hopes before the winter tests. Unfortunately, we were not where we would have liked to be," Albon recalled. "But we knew that we could improve more this year than we had in the past. We then completely changed our design concept in the middle of the season." While the team have not yet made great strides, Albon believes that the picture could look different as the rest of the 2022 season progresses. "I wouldn't say that [we can regularly finish in the points now]," he added. "The upgrade has brought us closer to the midfield. But we still have to fight for every point. That is already an improvement for us. "We are still learning with the new package. With a few more upgrades, it could look very different in a few races."
Most read
