Alex Albon signs new long term Williams contract
The British-born Thai driver will remain at Williams until the end of the 2026 season.
Yuki Tsunoda (left) and Alex Albon (right) at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix
Following the recent news of Fernando Alonso’s new deal with Aston Martin, it appears more and more teams on the Formula 1 grid are looking to secure talent to long term contracts ahead of the inevitable drivers’ merry-go-round before the 2025 season. The latest to do this are Williams who have secured Alex Albon’s services until the end of the 2026 season.
Albon began life in F1 in 2019 with Toro Rosso and his performances in his debut season convinced his Red Bull bosses to promote him to the main team mid-season in place of Pierre Gasly. It didn’t quite go to plan for the Thai driver at Red Bull with only two podium finishes in his 26 races there and he was replaced ahead of the 2021 season by Sergio Perez. Albon joined Williams in 2022 and was previously on a contract due to expire at the end of the 2024 season.
Williams - under the stewardship of new team principal James Vowles - finished in seventh place last season, the highest the since 2017. They are currently ninth in the standings after six races this year and work is being done at their Oxfordshire base to prepare them for the 2026 season where new regulations will hopefully lead to a more even field. There have even been rumours of an approach to secure the return of Adrian Newey, who worked for Williams during their successful years in the 1990s.
Alex Albon: "I am incredibly happy to be remaining with Williams Racing and to continue working with such a talented and dedicated team of people. It has been a difficult start to the year but since joining Williams we have made significant progress together and I have seen the huge changes happening behind the scenes to take us back to the front of the grid. This is a long-term project that I really believe in and want to play a key role in which is why I have signed a multi-year contract. The journey will take time but I am confident we are building the right team to move forward and achieve great things in the years to come.”
James Vowles, Team Principal, Williams Racing: "We are delighted to secure Alex's long-term future with Williams Racing. He has exceptional talent, technical input and dedication to the cause and this is a huge vote of confidence in Williams and the journey back to competitiveness that we are on. Since joining, Alex has consistently demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure, and signing him for the long-term is a big piece of the puzzle of moving us up the grid."
Alex Albon, Logan Sargeant, James Vowles, and F1 Academy starlet Lia Block from Williams Racing are all set to appear at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this summer. Read about it here.
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool