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Alex Albon has now issued a warning about Williams that Carlos Sainz will not want to hear after agreeing to his multi-year contract to join the Formula 1 team from Ferrari.
The Grove squad have moved to lock down their driver line-up for 2025 with Sainz replacing Logan Sargeant. Williams have gifted the 29-year-old an initial two-year contract that boasts options to take his stay past 2026, after Ferrari elected to replace Sainz with Lewis Hamilton.
Ferrari put Sainz in the shop window in February when Hamilton confirmed that he will leave Mercedes after the 2024 Formula 1 season. Williams have now, finally, won the race to land Sainz’s signature to partner Albon in Grove having decided to drop Sargeant after two years.
Alex Albon admits Williams must ‘be realistic’ with F1’s 2026 regulation changes
Albon also renewed his contract with Williams in May to stay in Grove through, at least, the 2027 F1 season. The 28-year-old is committed to helping Williams return to the front of the grid and shaping how they deal with Formula 1’s huge set of regulation changes come 2026.
F1 will introduce new chassis and engine regulations in its biggest shake-up since 2014 and the start of the V6 turbo-hybrid power unit era. Engines will become a 50/50 split between combustion and electrical power, while running sustainable fuels and removing the MGU-H.
The chassis regulation changes will also see Formula 1 cars become smaller in 2026 and run active aerodynamics. But Albon feels Williams must ‘be realistic’ with their expectations for 2026 and that any suggestions the Grove natives will become podium threats are ambitious.
“I think 2026 to say we will be at the front would be optimistic,” Albon told GPFans. “I think we do need to be realistic and stay grounded, and focus on how much of a journey that we were gonna have to be on.”
James Vowles made Carlos Sainz fully aware of the project Williams are building
Albon admitting that Williams are unlikely to become front-runners when Formula 1 enters the new regulations in 2026 will be among the last things that Sainz wanted to hear having signed his multi-year contract. It is hardly a huge vote of confidence in the project he joins.
But team principal James Vowles spoke with Sainz since last December about the project he is creating at Williams. So, the Spaniard will move to Grove in 2025 with his eyes wide open to what is in store as he steps down from Ferrari, where Sainz has won three Grand Prix yet.
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Sainz became a Grand Prix winner for the first time in his Formula 1 career as a Ferrari pilot at the 2022 British GP. He has since added victories at the 2023 Singapore GP and the 2024 Australian GP. But Ferrari felt they could not pass up on a chance to sign Hamilton for 2025.
Now, Williams will hope Sainz’s experience – having also taken five pole positions and 21 of his 23 career podiums at Ferrari – helps Albon to shape their path into the 2026 regulations. Williams have not taken a podium since the 2021 Belgian GP, when the race lasted one lap.
On true merit alone, Williams’ last podium came at the 2017 Azerbaijan GP as Lance Stroll secured third place. The Grove squad also last took a pole position at the 2014 Austrian GP with Felipe Massa. Pastor Maldonado gifted Williams their last win at the 2012 Spanish GP.
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