Albon highlights critical Colapinto advantage at Williams

Alexander Albon has outlined how Franco Colapinto his helping push Williams along since stepping into the team to replace Logan Sargeant.

The 28-year-old comprehensively out-performed his former team-mate, who was let go following the Dutch Grand Prix.

With Colapinto immediately finding his feet in F1, the Grove-based squad now enjoys a considerably more balanced line up, something that has helped the team in a number of areas, according to Albon.

Although the 21-year-old will not race alongside the Thai driver next season, on account of Carlos Sainz's switch to Williams, his presence is undoubtedly being felt.

"It helps in many ways, obviously, for me to have a benchmark, but also in terms of strategy," Albon explained to media including RacingNews365 when discussing the impact Colapinto has had on himself and the team.

"We can do things. Especially in the midfield, where it's so tight, you are actually quite reliant on strategy to score points."

Williams sits ninth in the constructors' standings and with a considerable gap to RB ahead, it looks consigned to that position.

With just three rounds to go, the nine-time champions would have to overturn a 27-point deficit. A tall, and frankly unrealistic, order provided it has scored just 17 points over the opening 21 rounds of the year.

Nevertheless, Albon was keen to express the benefit of having Colapinto alongside him, pointing out how having two drivers on an equal footing allows for more versatility when devising race strategy.

"The midfield battle is split by pretty much a tenth and a half, two tenths across everyone," the two-time podium finisher highlighted before expanding on the split-strategy approach employed to great effect by the likes of Alpine, Haas and RB throughout the current F1 season.

"There's a very big trend this year where one driver goes short and one driver goes long in the first stint."

"When you can have a driver who's able to be there and to do maybe the opposite or try and pull another driver in front away from whatever situation we may need, it becomes really useful."