Alex Albon is excited about the prospect of driving in the same machinery as Carlos Sainz next year. The Williams driver is confident that competing against the Spaniard will increase his ‘stock’ in the driver market.
Albon: I look forward to having a strong teammate
Up until Franco Colapinto’s arrival, Alex Albon has faced relatively weak competition at Williams.
Since the end of his Red Bull stint in 2021, the Thai driver’s two teammates full-time teammates have been Nicholas Latifi and Logan Sargeant.
Because of this, assessing Albon’s true ability has been difficult. Even when he’s secured strong results, placing his speed relative to other drivers has been difficult.
The strong performances shown by Franco Colapinto have only intensified speculation about the 28-year-old’s true level.
Conscious of these conversations, Albon says he relishes the challenge of going up against Carlos Sainz:
“I think people can take it two ways,” he told Pirelli’s ‘Box Box Box’ podcast about the Spaniard’s arrival.
“They can either be threatened, or see the challenge. I definitely enjoy that challenge.
“I feel like it’s something, you could argue, not so much myself but people externally will say – ‘finally, someone of a higher calibre that Alex can go against.
“For me it’s like, perfect. Bring that on, I love that – show people what I can do. It’s good for me.
“Everyone has a stock around the world, and I need that person to go up against to show people what I can do.”
All eyes on Williams
The evolution of this year’s driver market has been unprecedented. For the first time since Felipe Massa in 2017, Williams have a multiple race-winner at the team.
Carlos Sainz is obviously a tremendous asset for Williams, strengthening their line-up in such a competitive midfield.
However, both for the team and Alex Albon, Sainz’s presence will be a true test.
For Albon, his level compared to the 30-year-old will provide new insight into his abilities.
From the team’s perspective, delivering Sainz and Albon a fast package (especially in 2026) is necessary to validate their high ambitions in F1.
