Williams F1’s James Vowles promises Albon a future champion’s car following their recent contract renewal.
It is now official, Alexander Albon has extended his contract with Williams F1 for several years (the exact duration has not been disclosed).
This is a sign of trust from the Thai driver towards his current team: he will be ready to tackle the new technical regulations, starting in 2026, with the Grove team. This is despite the current setbacks.
James Vowles is thus very grateful to his driver, whose popularity curve is nevertheless high in the paddock. Alexander Albon was undoubtedly courted by other teams, but he chose continuity.
Vowles wanted to send a strong message to Alexander Albon: he wants to make him a world champion. Nothing less.
“I want to develop a car for you that can win championships,” Vowles told Albon, who was by his side during an exchange filmed by the team.
“Our team also wants to develop this car. It’s a serious goal. It might sound trivial or superficial to say it like that, but it’s a serious goal. Moreover, I feel a personal responsibility towards you. Your career is at its peak. It will last a while, but you are at your best. You are reaching your peak form. It’s as simple as that.”
“My responsibility is to give you the best package possible while you are here. That’s what I love about this multi-year journey. It’s not just about the present moment. It’s about how to shoulder the load, walk with pride, and give you every chance.”
“It’s a huge vote of confidence for the team. You saw the reaction (from team members). It’s good. It’s a better reaction than when I arrived!” joked James Vowles.
Albon is proud of the trust placed in him
Alexander Albon naturally responded with gratitude to this heartfelt declaration of love from his team principal!
“I really saw that reaction of confidence.”
“I know we only signed a short time ago. In this process, I tried to use my signature as a boost for everyone, to try and motivate everyone, to see that things are changing, and to really realize what I hope for. The fact that I believe in this team, for everyone at the factory, is a reason in itself to realize that we can all make it. I hope I can reassure everyone by telling them that I believe in this adventure and that you should too.”
But with Williams F1 still having not scored any points this year, how has Albon managed to maintain his full trust in James Vowles?
“I believe in this journey.”
“That’s what it’s about. I think the openness and honesty about our situation, even in the present… we never tried to say it was better than it was. We haven’t stopped working. It was the will of the people in the factory who wanted things to change. We had the feeling that we were always heading in the right direction. For the past year and a half, two years now, we’ve all been observing the same type of trajectory.”
“When you look at the results from the start of the season, you might think it’s unfair to be here (with 0 points) because I feel like so many things have gone well. I think the term ‘unfair’ isn’t quite right, because it’s racing. Ultimately, it’s about results, but I feel like the foundations of this team have improved so much and we continue to evolve them. I feel like there’s now a lot of room for our growth, whereas I didn’t necessarily feel that was the case when I arrived.”
Alexander Albon signed his contract with Williams F1 between Miami and yesterday… and had to briefly interrupt his vacation in the Cayman Islands with his girlfriend to swing by the office!
“I was in a car on my way to kiss stingrays in the water. I first went to kiss a stingray, but we wanted to sign the same day. With a time difference of seven or eight hours, we had to make a quick stop at the office. I don’t know if the paper arrived soaked!”
“Some signs showed that you just came out of the water,” joked James Vowles.
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Vowles’ Heartfelt Pledge to Albon After Contract Extension. Vowles’ Heartfelt Pledge to Albon After Contract Extension
