06 February 2024 , 12:34
661
0
James Vowles has warned F1's top teams that he will only allow Alex Albon to leave Williams early on his terms.
It was believed that in-demand star Albon's contract expired at the end of this season, along with most of the rest of the grid. But team principal Vowles insists the British-Thai racer is committed to Williams for another campaign after that.
"Alex is signed in Williams until the end of 2025," he said at the team's 2024 season launch event. "That's signed. It's not something I've been very public about, because I don't feel the need to. So any reports that you're seeing - and there's one in particular - that individual is speculating at best."
The report Vowles referred to claimed there was already a contract on the table from Red Bull who are keen to re-sign their former driver. While Mirror Sport understands there is interest there, claims of a contract offer are believed to be premature.
Red Bull aren't the only ones who have had their eye caught by Albon's stellar performances with Williams. He was also near the top of Ferrari's list of potential driver targets, before Lewis Hamilton agreed to joint them from 2025, while he has emerged as a candidate for the Mercedes seat the seven-time world champion will soon vacate.
Sebastian Vettel warns of looming F1 ban and is "very worried about the future"
Albon turns 28 next month and, though he insists he is only thinking about Williams for now, the prospect of joining one of the top teams will be tempting. Vowles believes his best chance of holding onto his star driver is by continuing the progress that has already been made in his short tenure so far.
He said: "It is our job at Williams to create an environment that deserves someone of the calibre of Alex. Simple as that. I've said that from the beginning and I still maintain that. He is an incredible driver who deserves his place towards the front.
"He did drives last year that I've already commented are no different to some of the other champions I've worked with. He kept half the field behind in one race and we put him in difficult positions and he overcame that to score points."
And Vowles is clear that he will only green-light Albon's early exit if he feels it's what is best for his team. He added: "[Albon] and I have good chats about where we want to move forward and we want to have our journey together in this team for a long time. We have to earn that right. It's not given, by any stretch of imagination, nor should it be, for that matter.
"For the situation with Alex, would I stand in his way? I have the responsibility of Williams on my shoulder - that's the most important thing to me. It's not the responsibility towards one individual, in this case Alex. This responsibility is towards the team so, should any decision go that way, it's because I'm very clear in my mind that I've made decisions that are correct for the team's long-term goals."