Alex Albon is captivating the racing world with compelling promises for Williams F1 team.
Albon’s appeal to the racing community hinges on a unique balancing act of shedding car weight while enhancing performance. He refers to this as the “carrot” that could lead to a substantial leap forward in 2025. Despite a promising last season, Williams stumbled this year, garnering only two points over nine races. The issue? An overweight car is partly to blame.
Albon’s FW45, equipped with a lighter floor and other modifications to reduce weight, is still not meeting the minimum weight of 798kg. His colleague, Logan Sargeant, is still awaiting similar upgrades. “There’s still a lot of performance in weight,” admits the Thai-British driver. “We’re still far away from where we want to be,” he notes, adding that cost considerations are significant since reducing weight isn’t a cheap endeavor.
However, there is optimism on the horizon with rumors of Carlos Sainz joining Williams for the 2025 season. Albon discloses that Williams is on an evolving development path. This year’s focus has been on incremental improvements every race, unlike last year, which featured a significant leap forward.
Such improvements are crucial since the regulations will remain unchanged next year, meaning gains from this year can be transferred to the next season. Albon emphasizes that achieving weight targets will be a game-changer for the team. “If we can get the fundamentals right, we’re going to make a big step as a team next year,” he affirms.
Reports suggest a major shakeup with Sainz’s possible entry, replacing Sargeant. The proposed four-year contract allegedly includes an exit clause after two years if the anticipated progress isn’t achieved.
Albon’s words paint a hopeful picture for Williams. By concentrating on efficiency and strategic upgrades, he believes the team is poised for considerable strides in the upcoming seasons.
