Why front-running F1 teams overlooked Alex Albon in this season’s driver market

Follow us on Google Discover

Williams team principal James Vowles is absolutely delighted with the business his team has done this season.

Although Williams currently sit eighth in the Constructors’ Championship, hopes are high for next year and beyond.

Carlos Sainz has been recruited from Ferrari to race alongside Alex Albon and the staff numbers behind the scenes are growing every week.

It’s never ideal for a driver to be replaced as part of a mid-season switch, but the decision to replace Logan Sargeant with Franco Colapinto has already paid off.

Colapinto might be wishing he had made his debut just a few races earlier as he may have been in with a chance of securing a seat on the grid – either at Williams or elsewhere – in 2025.

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

However, Albon is set to spend a fourth season with Williams next year that will almost certainly be extended for a further campaign in 2026 with teams unlikely to want to make sweeping changes in a year where new regulations are introduced to the sport.

A report from The Race has shared more details about why Albon wasn’t considered a serious option by some front-running teams in the paddock.

Red Bull were reportedly interested in Albon before the start of the season as a replacement for Sergio Perez next year.

Vowles made it clear that his driver wasn’t available, but it says a lot considering how concerning Perez’s form was at times last year – and how he has proceeded to perform this season – that Red Bull didn’t push harder to bring him back.

Mercedes also tentatively held talks with Albon but have decided to replace Lewis Hamilton with rookie Kimi Antonelli instead.

Why front-running Formula 1 teams didn’t try harder to sign Alex Albon this season

The report from The Race talks about Albon’s importance to Williams over the past three seasons.

The Thai driver has scored the majority of their points with Sargeant only managing one top-ten finish during his time in the sport before being dropped for Colapinto.

Nicholas Latifi didn’t perform much better and Colapinto has arguably already surpassed the level that both drivers reached.

This may have been the problem for Albon, with the report suggesting that not having a strong enough driver to compare Albon’s performances to may have placed ‘doubt’ in the minds of some teams further up the paddock from Williams.

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

Albon was only seven thousandths ahead of Colapinto during qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix and faces a completely different test when Sainz arrives.

Both drivers will consider themselves the best candidates outside of the top four teams right now.

This means that if a vacancy does come along with Nico Rosberg suggesting one driver at an elite team might already be in trouble, then Albon and Sainz might be battling it out for that seat.

Williams had ‘contract in place’ for different driver if Carlos Sainz didn’t sign

The Williams team have been one of the most important cogs in a crazy driver’s market this season.

Even while Logan Sargeant was driving for the team, it was clear that Vowles was looking for an upgrade for 2025.

Williams had a contract in place for Valtteri Bottas at one point but once Sainz committed to the project, the Finn was left hoping Sauber would retain him for next season.

Albon faces his toughest challenge since coming up against Max Verstappen next season and the steps being taken by Williams should give both drivers confidence that they can consistently challenge for points.

They might not close the gap to the top four teams, but Albon is confident that with Mercedes power units in 2026, they can be one of the strongest manufacturers on the grid.