Fernando Alonso told ‘phenomenal’ Williams driver is on-par with Aston Martin rival

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Le Mans 24 class-winner Richard Bradley has made a bold claim about Alex Albon and Fernando Alonso, having been blown away by the Williams driver’s form in F1 this year.

Williams retained Albon for a second season at the Grove-based squad after a superb return to Formula 1 in 2022. The London-born Thai driver had spent the prior year on the sidelines after losing his seat at Red Bull. But agreeing a switch to Williams has let Albon thrive again.

Red Bull had hurried Albon along after making his F1 debut with their sister team Toro Rosso in 2019. He secured a quick promotion to their main team midway through the 27-year-old’s rookie year. Yet the move up the grid did not see Albon shine and he left at the end of 2020.

Alex Albon shines in his second F1 season with Williams

Albon remained a Red Bull-affiliate driver for 2021 as he changed disciplines to drive in DTM with AF Corse. He also became a race winner in the German touring car championship while driving a Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020. A return to F1 with Williams would soon come, however.

A strong foundation year back on the grid with the Grove-based outfit has also now allowed Albon to thrive again. He has often excelled to help Williams sit seventh in the Constructor’s Championship at the summer break. Albon has registered all 11 of Williams’ points in 2023.

Logan Sargeant in the other Williams car is one of just three drivers yet to score a point in F1 in 2023. Daniel Ricciardo, who has only raced two Grands Prix, and Nyck De Vries, who lost his seat, are the others. AlphaTauri replaced De Vries with Ricciardo from the Hungarian GP.

Albon has scored points with a 10th-place finish at the season-opening Bahrain GP, seventh at the Canadian GP and eighth at the British GP. He has further qualified in the top-10 at the Australian GP (8th), the Canadian GP (10th), the Austrian GP (10th) and the British GP (8th).

Richard Bradley claims Alex Albon is on-par with Fernando Alonso

The Canadian GP saw Albon at his best as he utilised Williams’ straight-line speed to hold off faster drivers. Williams put their British-Thai driver on a one-stop strategy in Montreal, which forced him to deliver a measured performance to hold off George Russell and Esteban Ocon.

Such has been the level of his driving this year that British endurance racer Bradley believes Albon has performed at the same level as two-time F1 world champion, Alonso. He rates the Williams ace’s season to date at a nine out of 10, as well. Only Australia denies him a 10/10.

“I think level with Alonso with the form he’s in now,” Bradley told the On Track GP podcast. “I think Alex is doing a phenomenal job at the minute.

“You look at some of those amazing drives, Canada’s obviously the one that springs to mind. Out-qualifying Logan all the time. His racing’s been great.

“The only reason I wouldn’t really give him a 10, to be honest with you, is because of the crash he had in Australia, and that’s the only reason. But what more can he do?”

Albon crashed out of the Australian GP after drifting wide and losing control of his Williams at turn six. His car rebounded onto the track at high-speed on lap seven. While Alonso is the highest-placed non-Red Bull driver in the F1 Driver’s Championship through 12 Grands Prix.