What Red Bull offered Alex Albon before he signed new Williams contract

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Alex Albon has committed to Williams by signing a new multi-year deal with the team. Albon’s previous contract still had another season to run, but clearly both sides wanted to quash any speculation.

Albon started out in Formula 1 with Toro Rosso (now RB) back in the 2019 season. He earned a rapid promotion to Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen after Pierre Gasly lost his seat.

However, like Gasly before and Sergio Perez after him, he struggled in the shadow of Verstappen. The Dutchman won three races and took 15 podiums during their partnership, while Albon only finished in the top three twice.

That culminated in Red Bull moving on at the end of the 2020 season. The Thai driver lost his place on the grid altogether, but Williams then offered him a lifeline for 2022.

Albon has managed to rebuild his reputation under James Vowles and has now become a coveted driver once again. He’s stepped up as the team leader alongside the inexperienced Logan Sargeant, scoring 27 of Williams’ 28 points last year to earn them their best championship position for six years (seventh).

The current campaign has been more of a struggle, but that’s largely down to the limitations of an FW46 car that has yet to score a point. Albon has finished inside the top 12 three times, so he’s come close to breaking their duck.

Red Bull wanted ‘first option’ on Alex Albon

Albon has been so impressive at Williams that there’s even been talk of a return to Red Bull. Journalist Joe Saward reported that they had a contract on the table for him in 2026.

Christian Horner apparently views him as a potential number-one driver if Verstappen leaves. Re-signing Albon would likely please the Thai majority owners at the team.

The Race F1 have now shared a slightly different version of events. Rather than offering Albon a contract outright, they had simply requested ‘a first option on his service’.

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

So if he decided to leave Williams ahead of 2026, they wanted to be his primary port of call. Horner and co. weren’t necessarily committing to bringing him back, but the hope was that he wouldn’t join another team without consulting them.

Ultimately, though, Albon decided that this didn’t make sense, even if Red Bull are the reigning world champions. He didn’t want to base his future around an offer that wasn’t guaranteed, because he would have risked being left without a seat full stop.

What George Russell said to Alex Albon after Williams news

Williams confirmed the news of Albon’s extension on their social media channels on Wednesday morning. George Russell was among those to offer congratulations to his close friend.

Vowles will regard this deal as a key to realising his ambitions at Grove. He’s spearheading one of the most iconic teams in Formula 1, the winner of seven drivers’ titles and nine constructors’ championships.

Williams made a flying start to the turbo/hybrid era, finishing third in back-to-back seasons, but they slipped back into the midfield before a sharp drop-off around the turn of the decade. Under Vowles, they now feel as if they’re on an upward trajectory again.

Albon’s deal will keep him at the team for F1’s sweeping regulation changes in 2026. Having an experienced presence on board could be vital in managing that transition.