Alex Albon: From Zero to Hero
Amongst all the headline-grabbing drama of Formula One’s summer break silly season, there’s been a modest announcement that is easy to overlook. Alex Albon will remain with Williams on a multi-year deal with the British team. It’s no bombshell surprise like Fernando Alonso going to Aston Martin, an end of an era like Sebastian Vettel retiring, or a contractual soap opera Alpine and Oscar Piastri have started together. However, the idea of Albon racing in F1 until at least 2024 would’ve seemed like a pipedream 12 months ago, and the Thai driver’s career U-turn does deserve celebration, too.
Some will suggest getting a three-year seat at Williams is no cause for cheer after the Grove constructor’s stagnation in recent years. Although it’s a fair criticism, the team is under new ownership and has made some progress this season, although it’s not as pronounced as the improvements Mercedes has shown between March and today, for example. We’ve seen how George Russell changed everything after a three-year stint at Williams, and although I believe Albon is not on the same talent level, it shows how a driver can build a reputation at a backmarker.
Moreover, Albon’s 2022 performances relative to his teammate are at opposite ends of the spectrum to how he fared in 2020. His performances against his teammates seem to give an indication of how well he’ll drive in a season. Against the might of Max Verstappen at Red Bull, Albon briefly excelled in his early races before hitting a run of poor form that enveloped him. The pressure of Red Bull’s expectations and the success that Verstappen found within the same team had Albon reach an untenable position of inferiority like his predecessor Pierre Gasly.
2022 has changed all that. Like Gasly, Albon is now Williams’ de-facto team leader and the driving force behind this lower-midfield team’s future. Williams has made no secret about their love for ‘Albono,’ as they dub their Anglo-Thai racer, and have championed every drip of rare good news he brings them. Albon’s early-season red hair dyeing Thailand media trip turned into a surprise merchandising opportunity for Williams. The team attributed his new style as the reason he scored unlikely points in the following race. They sold t-shirts aplenty and filled social media with Albon’s red hairdo look, and Albon became their hero.
The simple fact that Albon could return to Formula One was astonishing enough. Although recent years appear to paint a different picture (with Esteban Ocon, Fernando Alonso, and Kevin Magnussen returning to F1), overall, it is rare for a driver out of the sport to find a way back in. Alonso has won two world titles for the Renault team that seemingly will always welcome him back (maybe not after this year, though…). And Magnussen was a necessary last-minute purchase for Haas.
Albon is none of the above. He has no titles to his name in F1 or other junior series and no ties to any team that holds him in high regard. He lost his seat in 2020 because his season was a disaster, and he cost Red Bull valuable points. Red Bull didn’t push him out because an incoming driver had more money, and Williams didn’t sign him because they had no other choice. So Albon had to earn his seat by proving how valuable an asset he is to a team by putting hard work in behind the scenes to recover Red Bull's confidence.
By all accounts from Verstappen and the Red Bull upper management, Albon was instrumental in netting the Dutch driver the World Championship in 2021. Albon knuckled down in his reserve driver role and put all of himself into a job he never wanted to have. The hours in the simulator and time spent developing the car were never unnoticed by Christian Horner and company, who openly and often praised Albon’s work. By several accounts, that recognition and some kind words whispered in the right places were what got Albon a second chance few thought he’d get.
Albon’s drive at this year’s Australian Grand Prix still goes down as one of my standout performances in 2022. After his early-race pit stop – ordinarily a death knell for any driver’s race – the Williams driver nursed a set of Pirelli’s hard tires around the Albert Park circuit for some 57 laps. Albon pushed the perfect amount at the best times, slightly aided by a Virtual Safety Car, to score a well-earned point. The P9 in Miami one month later put a smile on his face that he still carries today.
I don’t believe Williams will challenge for championships any time soon, and I don’t think Alex Albon will win an F1 world title. Most teams and drivers won’t, though, and that’s okay. The two are in a happy relationship and are fixing damaged reputations on both sides. With all the crazy decisions we’ve seen and will see in this silly season, the Albon-Williams contract is a much-needed nugget of logic that otherwise appears absent this summer.
Originally published at Fortloc.com.
