In a recent interview, Alexander Albon revealed the significant role that Williams team principal James Vowles played in his decision to commit to the Formula 1 team for the long term. Albon’s renewed contract will keep him with Williams until 2026, coinciding with the next regulation change in the sport. This announcement came as a surprise, considering Williams’ slow start to the season with their revised car concept. Despite the team’s struggles, Albon’s faith in Vowles’ plans to elevate Williams back to the top of F1 motivated him to dismiss any doubts about his future. Albon expressed that his decision was based on his familiarity with Vowles and his belief in the team’s potential for improvement. While acknowledging the team’s current challenges, Albon emphasized the ongoing efforts behind the scenes and the steps being taken to move forward. He credited his close communication with Vowles for giving him confidence in the team’s direction and their ability to climb up the grid.
Vowles has been exerting pressure on the owners of Dorilton Capital to modernize the outdated facilities of Williams in order to ensure that the team can make a strong start once the rules are reset.
Albon has explained how Vowles’ experience working in a championship-winning environment with Mercedes has been crucial in changing the deeply ingrained culture at Williams.
“It is the vision and the expertise of James,” he added. “He has mentioned it numerous times, the obsolete procedures that we are following or the outdated software that we use.
“When you consider our current level of performance, still fighting for minimal points, still able to compete where we are, a large part of that is due to the individuals we have within Williams. However, the fundamental aspects of the team still require improvement, and you can already see many of these changes taking place. There is a noticeable shift.
“I cannot explicitly state what these changes are, but I observe them and I am involved in them. I have faith in them.
“I witness the steps that the team is taking, and they all appear to be logical and already yielding positive results.
“As I mentioned, this is partly why the car was delayed, as we were implementing these significant changes. It has taken time.
“The foundations are now becoming stable, which I do not believe was the case a few years ago.”
When asked if he would have considered exploring other options without Vowles, given the reported interest from Red Bull, Albon responded, “Yes, it is a highly speculative question.
“But certainly, both Vowles and the board have played a significant role in my decision.”