Alex Albon has highlighted his unimaginable partnership with team-mate Carlos Sainz as a key purpose for Williams having fun with its finest System 1 season for eight years.
The historic British outfit got here fifth within the 2025 standings, which is its finest end result since 2017 after it spent years on the again throughout the late 2010s to early 2020s.
That down interval got here throughout monetary struggles below the Williams household’s possession, wherein it must signal pay drivers, who weren’t ok for F1, to easily preserve afloat.
However the takeover by Dorilton Capital, plus the introduction of a price cap in 2021, led to the crew’s resurgence and 2025 additionally noticed it rating a number of podiums for the primary time in 10 years.
That was a results of Sainz claiming third in Azerbaijan and Qatar amid his debut season for Williams, having joined from Ferrari after it opted to signal Lewis Hamilton in his place.
The arrival of the four-time grand prix winner was however an enormous increase, because it lastly gave Williams a second driver pretty much as good as Albon who, since becoming a member of in 2022, had team-mates like Nicholas Latifi and Logan Sargeant.
When requested on the Abu Dhabi finale how a lot of an influence Sainz had, the 29-year-old mentioned: “Undoubtedly completely different by way of a tradition and mindset. I’d say that, being completely sincere, simply as an method between the 2 automobiles, far more equal in the best way that the crew has handled us.
Carlos Sainz, Williams, Alexander Albon, Williams
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Photos by way of Getty Photos
“I may undoubtedly say I had, for almost all, the preferential remedy in earlier years. When it comes to us two working collectively, [there is] extra backwards and forwards by way of suggestions ping-pong, the place we’re simply having the identical opinions in regards to the automotive.
“We communicate in a really comparable language, I feel. Carlos is extra skilled than I’m, however by way of our age and our method, we deal with issues in a really comparable means.”
Albon due to this fact thinks the 31-year-old has helped him change into a greater driver, with 2025 little doubt being the Thai-Briton’s finest season but since making his F1 debut in 2019.
“When it comes to pushing me, sure, it is nice to have somebody,” added Albon, who completed eighth within the 2025 championship and one spot larger than Sainz.
“It is a completely different knowledge set to take a look at, completely different driving type to me. We wish comparable issues within the automotive, however we truly usually arrive to qualifying with a really comparable set-up.
“I really feel like each driver would say this, when you may have a team-mate who’s a step up, you study extra. There’s extra to study by way of your driving kinds. There are some corners that you just have been beforehand fast at, which you are now the identical as.
“And there are some corners that it’s essential study, adapt, drive in a different way. And I am certain it goes the opposite means for Carlos too. It has been good to see.
“I feel the most important factor I’ve realized from Carlos is extra the non-driving aspect of issues. So the best way that we conduct conferences and develop the automotive within the simulator and go round our free follow programmes, issues like that, you possibly can see the expertise with Carlos in that means.”
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