17 January 2024 , 19:44
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James Vowles admitted star driver Alex Albon has changed as he reflected on the Williams star's superb sophomore season with the team.
Albon joined Williams in 2022 after a year out with the sport and did enough to earn a new contract. But it was last season that he truly blossomed, leading the charge for the team that finished seventh.
It was a strong result for Vowles in his first year as team principal. And, having watched Albon closely over the course of the campaign, he couldn't help but notice how the British-Thai racer flourished.
"I've known Alex for around eight years and I couldn't wait to come here and rekindle that relationship that we had before," he told Motorsport.com. "He's really quick, he has the right mindset - and that's really important, not just for him but for any driver to get the most out of themselves.
"I think if you look at him across the year, and even speak to him openly and candidly, he's not the same driver that I started with in Bahrain. He has really matured across the season and he got the most out of the car, there is no doubt about that.
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"We were seventh as a result of his incredible drives this year. The team did a great job with getting the car together and stretching it, but he's still [often] had four or six cars behind him that were down his neck the whole race. That's quite impressive."
Albon scored all but one of Williams' 28 points last year, which was enough to lift the team from rock bottom the season before up to seventh. Happily for the team, Vowles believes the 27-year-old has yet to reach the peak of his powers.
He added: "What I like about him is he hasn't stopped growing yet. He hasn't stopped maturing yet, but also what I like about him is there's no politics. He just wants to get in the car and drive quickly, and I think that's why it works really well."
The challenge for the Williams chief will be to keep hold of his star driver. As is the way in F1, Albon's strong performances driving for one of the backmarker teams have caught the attention of those who race further up the grid.
The driver market is expected to be very active over the next 12 months with three-quarters of the grid out of contract at the end of the year as it stands. Albon is one of those whose future is uncertain and, with Ferrari among at least two teams interested, could play a key role in line-up changes up and down the paddock.