Sacrificing a year a hard pill to swallow for Albon? 'Not how I'd put it'
F1 News
In the 2024 season, Williams finished ninth in the constructors' standings, only ahead of a struggling Sauber (soon-to-become Audi) team. While on many weekends, the British team had the chance to fight for points, many crashes also haulted their progress. Driver Alexander Albon talked about the year many mark as 'punted' by James Vowles' squad.
On many occasions, team principal James Vowles talked about the clear goal of Williams: Once again, the team would like to be frontrunner in Formula One. To achieve that, the team will focus on the regulation change, while improving on how they operate trackside as well. Taking that into consideration, the '24 and '25 seasons and learning years for the team.
Similarly to Albon's next teammate Carlos Sainz, the Thai driver rather focuses on reeping the rewards of his work in the future, rather than what he misses out on at the moment. "That's why I've signed a longer-term contract. I don't want to sign with Williams to put the effort in to then not be there when we're finally on the up. I believe in the journey and so I've committed long term to make it work. I feel like I'm a big part of it. It's my responsibility as well to make sure that we get there. So yes, now it's just making it happen," he told GPblog among others.
'Sacrificing' important year in F1 career?
For a team, it is easier 'to punt a season away', but for a driver, there is only limited time in the competition. Albon does not believe focusing on the future is holding him back. "No, not sacrificing. We are doing the right steps to make sure we're the best we can be in two, three years. That's how I would put it. Let's say if we stuck in our old ways would we have been in the same position at the start of the year maybe not, but we would never be able to get out of this back of the midfield situation so in my head when we're going through these struggles, I see it more like good that we're doing it now," Albon explains.
"It doesn't pain me when these things happen. It's, okay, are we in a better place now? Yes. Great. Okay. So now we can attack next year better and all these kind of things. So, yes, that's all," the Williams driver concluded.
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