Alex Albon believes the improved consistency and driveability of the 2025 Williams Formula 1 car has been crucial in delivering the team’s strongest start to a season in nearly a decade.
Five rounds into the new campaign, Williams has already amassed 25 points, courtesy of both Albon and new recruit Carlos Sainz.
That tally eclipses the 17 they managed over the entirety of 2024 and marks their best opening run since 2016 – a year when they were still seen as a solid midfield contender.
Much of the team’s progress has come from addressing the well-documented issues that plagued last year’s FW46.
That car arrived late, bloated, and seemingly allergic to side winds. For 2025, Williams set out not only to improve its processes but also to overhaul its approach under the guidance of team boss James Vowles, who has been reshaping the Grove-based squad with long-term targets in mind.
Albon admitted the car is a big step forward, particularly when it comes to balance and feedback.
“The biggest thing for me is more just that the car is easier to be on the limit,” he explained to select media including Motorsport Week ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.
“It’s less snappy, more predictable, less sensitive to wind changes and in general that makes you able to deliver better laps more consistently.”
He continued, “I still make the odd mistake here and there, it happens. But I feel like I can do a better job more consistently because the car is just a bit more drivable.”
Williams FW47 exceeding expectations
Interestingly, Albon admitted that the FW47 is exceeding expectations even compared to what their simulator had predicted during development.
“I was always really confident that we were going to make progress as a team,” he continued.
“We drove it on the simulator, and it was definitely better, but I think we found more pace in the car than what the simulator told us it would be.
“That’s quite a rare and very positive thing to have.”
While the overall pace has improved, Albon stressed that the team isn’t developing the car heavily throughout the year, meaning early-season opportunities are crucial.
“There’s a really big emphasis on us to score points right now. You don’t know when the next upgrade is going to come on a rival team.
“We might not always be the fifth quickest car but we are consistently there to score points.”
As it stands, Williams sits fifth in the Constructors’ Championship – a position few would have predicted six months ago.
With the field still tightly packed and development wars looming, Albon’s consistency and the car’s refined behaviour could prove vital in holding off the chasing pack, especially with wind tunnel development now turning fully to Williams’ 2026 machine.
READ MORE – Why Alex Albon has warned Williams’ points-scoring rate could slow in F1 2025
