'Proud' Albon says 2023 was ‘strongest year’ yet in F1

Alexander Albon concluded his 2023 season with Williams with a resounding declaration that it marked his strongest campaign to date in Formula 1.

The Anglo-Thai racer played a pivotal role in propelling Williams to a commendable seventh position in F1’s Constructors' Championship, but Albon's individual performance was nothing short of stellar.

Throughout the season, the 27-year-old demonstrated exceptional consistency, securing points in seven Grand Prix, as well as in one sprint race.

His ability to maximize the car's straightline speed proved invaluable, enabling him to successfully defend his position against potentially faster rivals.

Despite a minor setback in Australia, where he spun off, Albon's overall performance remained remarkably solid.

• Read also: Williams' championship 'never just about money' - Vowles

"I'm very proud of my performance," said Albon, quoted by Motorsport.com. "I'm not the most arrogant person I would say, but I will give myself credit, I feel like I've had a very strong season.

"I felt like most of my races haven't been simple, there have been races where we've been fighting, fighting, fighting the whole time. But I enjoy it. I feel that's the environment that I thrive in.

“For me, it's been my strongest year in F1. That connection that I have with the team has really helped that. I feel like that's where we've been able to execute everything we've done so well."

Although the performance of Williams’ FW45 has been inconsistent, with F1’s low downforce tracks typically playing to its strength, the team’s execution has been a model of consistency insists Albon.

"It's strange, because a lot of people think we're very inconsistent, but I personally think the execution of each weekend has been very consistent," he said.

"The car itself is quite inconsistent. So we know, Monza, Vegas tracks go well, for us. We know cold tracks do well for us.

"We know what tracks don't work for us, the windy tracks don't work for us, tight tracks don't work for us.

"Our car does have its moments and one of our biggest focuses next year is to stop these weaknesses in our car. But the execution has been very strong, I think, and we made the most of opportunities.

"So that's why I believe we've been able to actually get P7, I think.

“When we've had the car to do it, we've made sure we've scored the points. I think others have either had a blunder with strategy or whatever it may have been, just to miss out on points."

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