CHECK OUT: Reasons Why his seat is at risk for 2026

Alex Albon has rebuilt his reputation since he joined Williams at the start of 2022. Albon spent a year on the sidelines following his Red Bull exit and has looked far more assured behind the wheel following his return.

The Thai driver started out in F1 with Toro Rosso in 2019 and earned a promotion to Red Bull after just half a season as Pierre Gasly struggled. But like his predecessor and indeed successor Sergio Perez, he struggled alongside Max Verstappen.

Albon says Red Bull cater to Verstappen’s driving style, which he likened to playing Call of Duty. After a bruising 18 months, he lost his seat to Perez.

At Williams, however, he’s thrived in the role of team leader. He thrashed Nicholas Latifi and then Logan Sargeant, culminating in the American losing his seat at the end of August.

Albon was responsible for 27 of his squad’s 28 points last year and has scored 12 of their 16 this term too. James Vowles rewarded his form with a new contract in May.

His deal wasn’t due to expire until the end of 2025, but he’s now penned an extension. Top F1 teams sniffed around Albon, but decided a move was too risky because his teammates weren’t posing a representative test.

Guenther Steiner says ‘impressive’ Franco Colapinto could take Alex Albon’s drive

In the last three rounds, Albon has raced alongside Franco Colapinto, the Williams academy graduate and Sargeant’s replacement. Colapinto has surprised the paddock by virtually matching his far more experienced partner from the outset.

He finished immediately behind Albon at the Azerbaijan GP, scoring four points on a season-transforming weekend for the team. In Singapore last time out, he was just seven-thousandths of a second slower during qualifying.