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Alex Albon ‘Frustrated’ Despite Williams Recovering From ‘Nightmare’ 2023 Setup

Published 03/17/2024, 10:31 AM EDT

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via Reuters

Despite having more than 3 Constructors Championships than Red Bull, Williams has sadly been relegated to being a backmarker in F1. Alex Albon, who has driven for both and is currently seated in the latter’s car – is one of the team’s only silver linings. Even after James Vowles took over as Team Principal, the legacy team hasn’t tasted success yet. In such a make-or-break period, Albon has expressed his frustration.

Williams has been known to build cars in the recent past that struggle at windy circuits. Their 2023 challenger, the FW45 was probably the worst on the grid to be affected by the wind. That brings about a question – does their new car, the FW46 suffer the same? On the latest episode of F1’s ‘Beyond the Grid’ podcast, host Tom Clarkson posed the same question to Alex Albon.

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“Bahrain was always a bad track for us because it’s windy and the corners don’t suit us,” Albon replied to Clarkson. “I always find the wind is more of a balance amplifier – It kind of really highlights issues in the car. And the FW45 had a lot of issues. When the wind was behind us, it was a nightmare and we’ve seen massive steps for this year. But everyone’s made a step. So that midfield is quite frustrating.”

Despite having a bucketload of talent and experience, the Thai racer is stuck in the midfield. However, he refuses to be dispirited and has even shouldered the responsibility to return the team to its glory days.

Alex Albon takes accountability for Williams’ resurgence

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With James Vowles leaving Mercedes to join Williams as Team Principal, the Oxfordshire team embarks on a new journey. On the driver front, Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant have a mission to accomplish. But with Sargeant still struggling to grapple with the pace of F1, Albon knows he has to lead the team.

via Reuters

“I think podiums and wins shouldn’t be off the cards,” Albon told Crash.net. “Of course, we have to be realistic as well at the same time. My job at Williams is to bring us there. I feel very much part of the team too and it feels like my responsibility as well to bring this team up at the front end. But let’s see. There is a lot of time on my side. I’m keen to get it earlier than ever. Most drivers don’t have patience anyway but that’s where I see myself at.”

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Will the Thai racer’s patience eventually pay off at Williams? Or is his F1 career driving towards a dead end?

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Written by:

Yash Kotak

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Yash is an F1 writer at EssentiallySports. With a strong passion for communicating through written word and a keen interest in the world of motorsports, he thoroughly enjoys being a fan of F1 and covering it for other fans. Ever since he watched the 'INSIDE TRACKS' episode covering the 2018 German Grand Prix, he has fallen in love with the intriguingly complex world of F1.
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Edited by:

Arnima Shukla