Eddie Jordan explains why he thinks ‘formidable’ Williams will be a ‘big surprise’ next season

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Williams has been battling at the back of the field for much of 2024 and has scored just four points, but they will have Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon driving for them next year.

The British team are duelling with Alpine for eighth place in the Constructors’ Championship and has parted ways with American driver Logan Sargeant.

Williams replaced the 23-year-old with Franco Colapinto, a member of their driver academy, who will race in the final nine races of the year.

There is a developing belief that Williams will have a superb driver pairing for next season as Albon is joined by Sainz.

Eddie Jordan believes Williams will have a ‘formidable duo’ next season

Williams will have the opportunity to benefit from an experienced line-up of drivers that have both raced at the front and stood on the podium in Formula 1.

Speaking on the Formula For Success podcast with two-time Monaco Grand Prix winner David Coulthard, Eddie Jordan said Sainz and Albon are a ‘formidable duo.’

Both drivers have competed against Max Verstappen in the same team, with varying degrees of success and at different stages of their careers.

The pair will be able to provide vital experience to a team that has yet to consistently challenge for podiums since the start of the hybrid era and hasn’t won a race since Pastor Maldonado secured victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2012.

Jordan is optimistic about Williams ahead of next season and believes they could be a surprising outfit as they look to get closer to the front.

He said: “Now, he’s [Sainz] going to go to Williams, and he will be with Alex Albon. Those two are a formidable duo in terms of, in my belief, about driving style and standard. They’re absolutely up there. Either of them can win, and in fact, Carlos has won Grands Prix. I have a belief that Williams may be a big surprise next year.”

Williams have shown signs of improvement this season

Over the past few seasons, the Williams cars were blisteringly fast on the straights, making them competitive at a narrow window of high-speed tracks such as Monza and Spa-Francorchamps.

This aero efficiency and low drag configuration made them quick in a straight line but they suffered at more technical circuits such as Monaco and Singapore.

In 2024, the Grove-based team focused on making the FW46 more of an all-rounder. This decision paid off at the Monaco Grand Prix, as Albon scored points in ninth place.

They have also made more progress than teams around them such as Sauber who have been rooted to the back of the field this year.