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Williams star Alex Albon recently came out and detailed the state of Williams' F1 team before James Vowles' arrival, and hailed the new Team Principal for making improvements. The former Mercedes man has taken Williams from being a backmarker to now a midfield team, and they are now hunting glory.
The Williams F1 team struggled in the late 2010s as a backmarker team. The team was eventually sold to the US Investment company Dorilton Capital towards the end of 2020, and the new management team decided to take a new direction.
One of the major decisions taken by Dorilton Capital was to bring in James Vowles as the Team Principal ahead of the 2023 F1 season. The former Mercedes man led an overhaul at the historic F1 team to get Williams back to its glory days.
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New equipment was bought, personnel from top teams were hired, and most recently, Carlos Sainz was signed to partner Alex Albon. The team decides to shift its focus towards the 2026 regulations changes, as it'll give Williams an opportunity to get on par with the top teams.
Williams are currently sitting in P5 in the standings with Carlos Sainz taking his first podium for the team at the Azerbaijan GP. Alex Albon credited James Vowles for the performance, detailing the negative state of the Grove-based team prior to the new team principal’s arrival.
“We've had ambitious targets every year, but there's a belief and there's a vibe within the factory that when I first joined, was actually the pre-James era. In many ways, it was an unconfident team, quite negative in their approach and just lost that spark. They're running 10th in the championship for a few seasons in a row. It never felt like they believed that they deserved more or would be better," said Alex Albon (17:30 onwards)
“Once that all started to change, it feels like we've just got this momentum and it's a positive, addictive feeling and that's what I see is this optimism and that's the drive that's pushing us forward,” Alex Albon
“Trust the process”: James Vowles hails Williams' progress but suggests there's still a long way to go
From being a backmarker team, Williams is now consistently challenging for the points and the odd podium. James Vowles recently signed a multi-year contract extension with the team and came out after Carlos Sainz’s podium in Azerbaijan.
Suggested how the team has made progress, but that there is still a long way to go, the Spaniard said,
“I think what I’ve said all the way along is [that there are] some positives and negatives for everyone to acknowledge. I’m confident that we as Williams will step forward every year, going forward from here onwards. That’s important to know – we’re on a good pathway, we’re investing in a good way. [However] There’s a ‘but’. We still have a long way to go.”
“In one year, we won’t fix everything that we need to fix. But my ask of you is to stay with us. I hope what everyone can see is we’re on the right journey – trust the process,” he added
Alex Albon signed a contract extension with Williams in 2024, which will see him race for the team at least until the end of the 2027 season.
