Alex Albon has explained how the arrival of Carlos Sainz at Williams has helped transform the team and elevated his own Formula 1 performances.
The Anglo-Thai driver was joined by Sainz at the Grove-based squad after the Spaniard’s exit from Ferrari at the end of 2024.
Albon has rejuvenated his own F1 career with the team, joining in 2022 after a one-year hiatus following an unsuccessful stint at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen.
In that time, Albon has managed to be the de facto lead driver at Williams, having been partnered by Nicholas Latifi and Logan Sargeant – and briefly, Franco Colapinto – in the team.
And the start of 2025 saw Albon retain supremacy in terms of results, with Sainz initially struggling, as well as enduring a fair share of bad luck.
But once Sainz began to feel his way in more, he was able to show the team, and the sport, exactly what he was still capable of, and took two podium finishes, the first in Baku, being the team’s first in eight years.
Albon revealed to media including Motorsport Week before the end of the season, in which the team finished fifth in the Constructors’ Championship, just what additional attributes Sainz has brought to the table.
“I think the biggest thing I’ve learned from Carlos is more the non-driving side of things, the way that we conduct meetings and develop the car in the simulator and go about our free practice programmes,” said Albon.
“Things like that which you can see the experience with Carlos in that way.”
Albon reveals ‘feedback ping-pong’ a cornerstone of Williams strength in 2025
Given that Albon was previously partnered with, with the greatest of respect, two full-time stablemates with a lesser degree of talent than him, it was natural that he would be seen as the figurehead.
Sainz’s arrival has changed that, given his stature as a multiple Grand Prix-winner in four seasons with Ferrari.
But Albon is all too happy to indulge in the experience that Sainz has brought and explained how the 31-year-old is similar in many ways.
“I could definitely say I had the majority of the preferential treatment in previous years,” he explained.
“In terms of us two working together more backwards and forwards – we call it ‘feedback ping-pong’, where we’re just kind of having the same opinions about the car.
“We speak in a very similar language. Carlos is more experienced than I am, but in terms of our age and our approach, we handle things in a very similar way.
“In terms of pushing me, it’s great to have someone with a different dataset to have a look at, different driving style to me. We want similar things in the car, we actually normally arrive to qualifying with a very similar set-up.
“When you have a team-mate who’s a step up, you learn more. There’s more to learn in terms of your driving style. There’s some corners that you were previously quick at, which you’re now the same as [your team-mate]. And there are some corners that you need to learn, adapt, drive differently.
“I’m sure it goes the other way for Carlos, too. So it’s been good to see.”
For Albon, 2025 saw him able to compete for points on a more regular basis, with the FW47 the fastest car of the midfield.
He ultimately ended the year eighth in the Drivers’ Championship with 73 points, his early-season buffer seeing him finish nine points and one position ahead of Sainz.
For him, it is undoubtedly the peak of his F1 career so far, setting him, Sainz and the team up for a firm charge at 2026.
“I would say my best season yet,” he said.
“Obviously the car, I think, takes credit for most of that. I said it before, I haven’t changed so much my application into this year, but the car and what the guys and girls have done at the factory have made a huge step this year.
“I’ve been with this team for four years now and this has been clearly the biggest step out of the four years from year to year.
“It’s been enjoyable, been fun to be able to race against some of the top teams in some certain tracks.
“Towards the of the year, not ideal, but generally pace has been strong – just either myself, I’ve made a couple of mistakes in Vegas and Baku that kind of stand out to me, but then the other ones have just been just not going my way, kind of what it was like for Carlos at beginning of the year.”
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