Alex Albon opens up on striking Williams F1 change

Alex Albon has detailed the “huge shift” that has occurred within Williams compared to the atmosphere present when he first joined. Albon joined the Grove-based squad in 2022 after a year on the sidelines as Red Bull's reserve driver. Once a consistent championship-winning outfit, Williams slipped back in the pecking order across the last decade and was often positioned towards the end of the championship table. However, it has made a sizeable step forward this year and currently sits fifth in the standings with 101 points - the first time it has breached the three-figure mark since 2016. It was handed a major boost last month in Baku with Carlos Sainz who scored an unexpected podium, but Albon insisted the team's tone has been changing for some time. “When I first joined the team, there was an element of just being low down,” Albon told media including RacingNews365 . “I think they kind of expected 'this is the way and this is where we belong'.  “There’s been a huge shift in terms of open-mindedness, willingness to experiment in general, and this hunger to move and be a top team.” Albon has credited team principal James Vowles for being the driving force behind the shift. Vowles joined Williams in 2023, moving from Mercedes where he held a senior team role for several years. “That’s very much down to James and the key individuals within the team who’ve moved that [dial],” Albon added. “It’s not an easy thing to do, and it shouldn’t go unnoticed just how different the atmosphere is in the team from day one when I joined to now.”