Alex Albon has bemoaned the “brutal” shortness of Formula 1‘s winter break, revealing that he will have approximately a week off between the 2025 and ’26 seasons.
The Anglo-Thai driver enjoyed another impressive campaign for the Williams team, finishing eighth in the Drivers’ Standings with 73 points.
Albon, along with new team-mate Carlos Sainz, led a revival for the Grove-based squad, helping it to a fifth-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship.
The FW47 survived curtailing of its development and managed to retain its competitiveness, seeing off competition from midfield rivals Aston Martin and Racing Bulls.
But Albon has opened up debate on the length of the current calendars, which will once again be 24 races in 2026, with action finishing in December and recommencing with testing in January.
“It’s brutal to be honest with you. I don’t think it’s enough,” he told media including Motorsport Week at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
“I think I have seven days off. We finish next week, we do something later next week, do the Christmas parties and all this kind of thing, and then we go to the factory.”
Albon added: “Then I go for seven days, I come back, I do Christmas for my family, and then on the 27 December, I start my training camp.
Then 5 January, 6 January, we’re back in the factory. So, yes, not a lot of time to rest.”
Albon also intimated that the driving style adaptation forced upon him and the other 21 drivers next year, via the new 50-50 hybrid cars, will also provide an additional strain.
“I think energy management next year is going to be so important,” he said. “I think the teams are going to really have to respect that.
“Be quite principled in how we go into the year because it’s busy from testing, busy from such a short turnaround. Yes, it’s going to be tough.”
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