Alex Albon welcomes Carlos Sainz at Williams, viewing his arrival as a chance to grow rather than a source of pressure.
Alex Albon is not concerned about Carlos Sainz joining Williams F1, having previously raced alongside Nicholas Latifi, Logan Sargeant, and Franco Colapinto. Now entering his fourth season at Grove, he views his new teammate as a positive for the team rather than a negative for himself.
“In terms of pressure, no, I see it more as an opportunity,” Albon said. “Carlos is a proven driver coming off one of his best seasons in F1, so I have confidence in myself, and I’m excited to have a strong teammate I can learn from.”
“I hope I can bring something to him as well, and ultimately, the team’s direction is to move forward. I think we will work well together—based on what we’ve discussed, our preferences in the car are quite similar.”
After a shared session in Barcelona, he noted that he and Sainz have a similar outlook on racing and Formula 1: “I think Carlos is what you’d call a thoughtful driver. I put myself in the same category. In that sense, I think it’s a good thing.”
“It’s a solid foundation to build on. I believe we will work well together. Obviously, we haven’t done much running yet. We had some testing in Barcelona, but even the work we’re doing in the simulator is aligned.”
“And clearly, he brings a lot of knowledge from Ferrari—different ways of working and optimizing their package. Obviously, it’s different from Williams, but it’s very interesting, not just for the team, but also for me.”
Albon expects a tight grid in 2024: “No margin for error”
The Thai driver anticipates a closely contested grid this year and knows that every detail will matter: “I think this year will be the tightest for F1. Unless someone creates something exceptional, the gap will be narrow, and there will be no margin for error in that sense.”
“We will need to be aligned, and both of us must be competitive. I think the grid is generally very strong this year. Especially at the start of the season, when new drivers find their rhythm, there might be opportunities to seize.”
“I don’t know what the other teams’ development plans are, but of course, we have an eye on next year, so we’ll see. The battle will be tight for everyone, and that’s where I hope having two team players and two good drivers will help us.”
Albon on FIA’s stance on swearing: “A tricky topic”
When asked about the FIA’s proposed rules on swearing, Albon confirmed that drivers are in discussions with the federation: “There have been talks about it. We are still considering how we want to express our stance on the matter. It’s a tricky topic.”
“Do we think it’s a good thing? Of course not. I don’t think we should be so monetized in every aspect of what we do. It’s also a sport driven by pure adrenaline. I don’t think walking around with microphones all the time is a good thing.”
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Sainz Joins Williams: Albon Embraces the Challenge Ahead Sainz Joins Williams: Albon Embraces the Challenge Ahead Sainz Joins Williams: Albon Embraces the Challenge Ahead
