Alex Albon change has Williams chief James Vowles convinced about his F1 future
James Vowles waxed lyrical about Alex Albon as he pointed out the changes the British-Thai racer has made to help him star this season.
Albon is in his sophomore campaign as a Williams driver. He was given a route back into Formula 1 by the team last year, having been left out in the cold for the 2021 season after losing his Red Bull Racing seat to Sergio Perez.
A strong first season back on the grid earned him a multi-year deal and he has been repaying his team handsomely ever since. The 27-year-old is responsible for every one of the 21 points scored by Williams this season, having secured plenty of impressive results.
But it's not just points and performances that have caught Vowles' eye. Sitting down with the Williams team principal reflected on how Albon is carrying himself these days, and how that has been mirrored by other staff at the team.
He said: "I talk about this a lot, but body language is how I reflect on various individuals. Body language is, in many regards, more potent than anything that comes out of people's mouths.
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"Have a look at the Williams team members – I've known this team for many years and have a look at how people are walking around today relative to how they were walking around just 12 months ago.
"Have a look at Alex at the same time and it's absolutely there. I work well with him. I've known him for many years and he needs an environment where he knows he's good and he's encouraged to extract the absolute potential for us.
Williams team principal James Vowles is delighted with Albon's progress (Getty Images)"We have a no-blame culture and that applies the exact same to the drivers. I want him pushing the absolute boundaries of where he is going to. I’m not interested in this year, I'm interested in developing both him and Logan [Sargeant] for the future, and you can't do that without making mistakes along the way – it's simply impossible."
Albon's result have not gone unnoticed in the paddock. He was the subject of several rumours during the summer break, including one suggesting he is a top target for Ferrari should the Italian team lose or decide to replace either Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz at the end of the 2024 season.
Vowles will be desperate to keep hold of the former Red Bull man for as long as he can. But, with Albon blossoming as an F1 racer, he knows it will be tough to do so if the team cannot give him a car in which he can achieve his ambitions.
One thing the team boss knows for sure is that the trajectory of the 27-year-old's career is clear, especially as Albon continues to work on himself as a person and as a racing driver. Vowles added: "With Alex, he's come out of his shell more and more as he's older and he's absolutely made a step this season.
"You see where he is migrating to, where he's going. He's confident in himself, he trusts himself and he has belief in the team. He also knows where his weaknesses lie and he works on those. More importantly, he actively talks about them now – not just in small groups but with the team as well.
"Those are the signs that you're looking for, someone who is so comfortable with themselves that they know how to address things and put them on the table. That's Alex at the moment."
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