Alex Albon: ‘It’s all going in the right direction’

Alex looks ahead to his fifth season with Atlassian Williams F1 Team

Published

04 FEB 2026

Est. reading time

5 min

The 2026 Formula 1 season is fast approaching – and Alex Albon is targeting further progress for Atlassian Williams F1 Team during the upcoming campaign.

Our Thai racer has plenty of reasons to be confident ahead of next term, after an impressive 2025 that saw him put 73 points on the board and help Williams to P5 in the Constructors’ Championship.

But AA23 will be looking to improve on that record this time around, of course, as he explained when speaking about the challenges that lie in store over the coming months.

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2026 FW48

Alex began by reflecting on last season, saying: “Personally, P5 in the Constructors’ Championship was great, but I think more than anything it was important for the team to feel it.

“It felt like a result where clearly a championship is not won over one race – it's all races combined where you have to be consistent.

“You have to deliver, when times are tough, when times are going well, and I feel like, as a year, that was a very complete year from the whole team.

“We've seen in previous years we've been quite a ‘peaky’ team, not the most consistent and if anything, the P5 consolidated this feeling to the whole team that we're here now and we've got the right foundations to build on.

“Looking back, I feel like 2025 was our strongest year yet, and it's great to see how every year we've just gone from strength to strength.

“I think that with this year, it's no secret it's going to be a big challenge. I think the test of having a new power unit, as well as a new car itself is putting a lot of stress on all teams.

“I'll be interested to see where we come out. I think it's going to be less tight than it was last year, but at the same time, I'm interested to see the progress we've made as a team.”

Looking the part in 2026

Albono remains confident that the team will continue on the upward trajectory we’ve witnessed in recent years, thanks in part to the culture that Team Principal James Vowles has instilled at Williams.

“I think that the belief I have is more just from what I see back at Grove,” he said.

“I think the changes that James is making at the factory, the culture in the team and the way that it's shifting, it's all going in the right direction and it's what I believe the team needs to be like to become a championship winning team in the future.

“We're still in our growing phase and there's still many years ahead of us but we're on the right path.

“A successful year [in 2026] will be progress and I think we established a good baseline in 2025. I think that we've established ourselves as the top midfield team and what I'm looking for is progress.

“The year is going to start wherever it starts and it's about the adaptability and the resilience to fight in what will inevitably be a catch-up game, and to develop [more than] our rivals as quickly as we can.

“And if we finish the season closer [to the summit] than where we started, then we should be in good shape for next year.”

Next season is a unique proposition for every driver on the grid, with Formula 1 set for a game-changing new set of regulations.

But preparations for those changes have been underway for a significant period of time at Grove, as Alex explained:

“The preparation has already started, to be honest with you – [since] mid-way through last year we've been working hard in the simulator, figuring out what kind of driving style we need.

“There's a huge element of adaptability for the driver and it’s about staying open minded. Everything that we've learned from previous years, we can't forget them, but we have to also be in a place mentally where we accept that it could be a totally different ballgame.

“So that's going to be interesting and there's a lot of discussions and meetings going ahead over this winter break to get us in the best place possible.”

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One element that will be crucial to Williams’ hopes of success is Alex’s partnership with fellow driver Carlos Sainz.

The duo combined well to secure maximum points for the team at various races last term, but there is more to their relationship than on-track collaboration.

“[With] Carlos and I, obviously it's our second year now, and with that comes more experience and more knowledge of each other as well,” Alex said.

“As we spend more time together, we're more and more aligned on the areas that we want the team to focus on.

“I do think it's quite rare, the position that we are in as a team, where we've got two drivers that are fairly experienced – one set to start the most races for Williams and the other one who has completed a lot of races in Formula 1 more generally.

“I think, as a combination, it allows us to really focus on the development of the car and the team, which I think will be important for the year ahead.”

Touching further on being close to becoming Williams’ record appearance-maker, Albono added:

“It does feel strange to be thinking of myself as the longest-serving driver in Williams’ history.

“Maybe that's partly down to how many races we do, but still, I think it just shows how much I believe in the team.

“I think it shows that I've been a part of this journey from the very beginning and I still believe in it, so that's why I'm here.”

That belief is shared by the team’s sponsors, with Barclays, Claude, BNY, Wilkinson Sword, Nuveen and a number of other companies in line to appear on Williams’ kit in 2026.

It is viewed as a positive development by Alex, who offered his thoughts, saying:

“In my opinion, it just shows there's belief in the team. To see huge partners come on board, it just shows that it's not just myself and Carlos believing in this journey – it's people from the outside as well.

“I think that we can use these partners as well to push us forward, and to help us develop even faster and lay down the foundations even stronger for years to come.”

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