Williams' Capito: 'Albon has exceeded my expectations'

Williams chief executive Jost Capito says he has been impressed with Alex Albon's input and attitude with his new team, insisting the Anglo-Thai driver has so far exceeded his expectations.

Albon returns to the fray this season after a year on the sidelines, but during which he served as Red Bull's reserve and simulator driver.

The 25-year-old's career on F1 was an on upward trajectory until an inconsistent campaign in 2020 and his inability to approach the performances of teammate Max Verstappen compelled Red Bull to replace him with Sergio Perez.

But Albon's indisputable talent has not gone wasted, with Williams picking him up to fill the seat vacated by George Russell alongside Nicholas Latifi.

Although Williams drivers didn't clock in among the top ten fastest performers at the end of the first leg of pre-season testing in Barcelona, Albon logged the fourth best result in terms of lap count with 207 laps of the Circuit de Catalunya under his belt.

The solid display and reliability provided Williams with a good opportunity to assess its new recruit.

"He gives very good information and is very good at evaluating the car," Capito told Germany's Motorsport-Total.

"He is relaxed, has a good feeling for the car and works well with the engineers and the team.

"I think he has just the right balance of being a nice guy on the one hand, but then finding the necessary aggressiveness in the car and pushing.

"He's a fighter. I expected him to fit in really well with the team, but he even exceeded my expectations."

• Read also: Former family business Williams aims 'to get its pride back' - Capito

Williams' less pressured atmosphere compared to Red Bull will hopefully allow Albon to thrive. It's early days still, but Capito's positive comments were certainly gratifying to hear for the young charger.

"He's just the same away from the media, a great guy," said Albon about his new boss.

"There's also fresh investment from Dorilton, and they're also very, very motivated and positive people. That's a great combination.

"I have the feeling we have a recipe for a great season and a great future at Williams."

Albon cast a positive view on Williams first week of testing in Spain which he called "pretty good", saying that the team's new FW44 offered a "healthy basis for the rest of the season".

"There’s nothing that particularly stands out, and that’s always a good sign," he said.

"Also, the new rules are good for me because everyone else is starting from scratch.

"I’m still a bit rusty, but I’m slowly shaking off this rust. I'm feeling better with every lap."

Albon vows to become Williams' leader and to develop its contender "in the best possible way". To do that, he says he'll draw on what he learned during his year on the sidelines in 2021.

"I’ve had a year to mature," he said. "It’s been a short year, but I’ve had the opportunity to question myself and see what I can do better .

"That’s where I learned to manage things a bit more myself. And that’s how I want to approach this year."

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