James Vowles hails the ‘unusual’ skill Williams driver Alex Albon has that he absolutely loves

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Williams Racing currently sit eighth in the Constructors’ Championship but will be optimistic about the final six races of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

An upgrade package delivered by Williams at the Dutch Grand Prix appears to have helped them take a step forward, even if it was decided that Logan Sargeant wasn’t the right driver to deliver that performance.

Franco Colapinto has been drafted in alongside Alex Albon and the team recorded a double-point finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that saw them leapfrog Alpine in the standings.

Team principal James Vowles will have Haas and RB in his sights knowing that making up even one position is worth millions in prize money at the end of the year.

Vowles was speaking on the Nailing The Apex Podcast about his two drivers and the faith he has put in them to deliver this season.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Williams Racing from team principal to Mercedes relationship

Colapinto has caught Vowles off guard this year, but Albon is the man Vowles will be relying on to score the majority of their points between now and the end of the campaign.

The United States Grand Prix is Albon’s 100th race in F1 and that experience is invaluable to a team in Williams’s position.

Vowles has now shared one skill Albon possesses that makes him an unusually strong driver both in qualifying and the race itself.

It’s one of the reasons why Williams believe they have the strongest driver line-up for 2025 once Carlos Saiz arrives.

James Vowles lauds ‘unusual’ Alex Albon attribute that he loves

Talking about the Thai driver, Vowles said: “What is brilliant about Alex is in qualifying and this is hard to do, he’ll do lap after lap at the time we need him to, building upon each one but enough that every time it puts you in the right position for what the car can achieve in Q1, Q2 and Q3.

“He doesn’t put a foot wrong, but he is on the limit of the car.

READ MORE: Williams driver Alex Albon’s life outside F1 from net worth, girlfriend to parents

“And that’s unusual, the pressure that falls on your shoulders when you’ve got one lap to deliver is enormous and he gets pretty much every time what I would have expected out of it or what I would have hoped the car could achieve.

“It’s the same in the race, you put him under immense pressure and that includes world champions behind you, and he just deals with it in his stride.

“His elbows are out and you’re not going to get past Alex and that’s what I love about him.”

How Franco Colapinto and Alex Albon compare in the Williams simulator

Albon never had much trouble up against Nicholas Latifi or Logan Sargeant when they were his teammates at Williams.

Sergeant infamously never out-qualified Albon for a Grand Prix event, although he did get the better of him in this year’s Sprint Race in Miami.

Colapinto has already ended that record after starting ahead of him in Baku, although Albon’s final lap in Q3 was compromised when he left the pit lane with a fan still attached to his car.

Vowles has shared how Albon and Colapinto compare in the Williams simulator and that gives some indication as to why the Argentinian was handed a promotion.

Liam Lawson was also linked with Sargeant’s seat but Red Bull would only allow him to leave on the condition that he could be recalled at any moment.

It’s now clear why with the Kiwi set to make his second F1 debut in Austin.