Albon reflects on 100th GP milestone with eyes on Williams future

Alex Albon is set to achieve a significant milestone this weekend at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, where he will line up for his 100th Formula 1 Grand Prix.

For Albon, this landmark offers a moment to reflect on his journey so far—a career that has been anything but conventional—but also to look ahead at the future, where he hopes to continue his upward trajectory with Williams.

At just 27 years old, Albon’s path to 100 Grands Prix has been marked by highs and lows, including a breakout debut season with Toro Rosso, a challenging stint at Red Bull, and a year away from the sport before finding his footing once again with Williams.

Despite the rollercoaster ride, Albon acknowledges that a centenary of races, while a milestone, feels somewhat different in today’s high-intensity F1 calendar.

“It's interesting, because I think we do so many races now a year, 100 races doesn't take long to achieve in some ways,” he says, speaking to F1.com.

“But, at the same time, it's still a big milestone. I think my journey has been not as smooth as maybe other drivers on the grid.”

Indeed, Albon’s return to F1 in 2022 after a year as Red Bull’s reserve driver has been one of the more inspiring comeback stories in recent seasons.

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His performances in 2023 and this season with Williams have highlighted his resilience and adaptability, but he remains mindful of his relative inexperience compared to others on the grid.

“I think most drivers on the grid have reached 100 races already – there's not actually that many that are below 100, so I'm still one of the relatively inexperienced drivers even though I'm about to hit 100.

“I think when you pass the milestone, or when I do, there'll be a little bit of reflection on my ups and downs in my Formula 1 career so far. But, at the same time, you don't win a trophy for it!

“Maybe when I get to 150 [races] or I'll get grey hair, I'll look at it fondly.”

Albon’s resurgence with Williams has been a testament to his driving skill and perseverance. Since rejoining the grid, Albon has played a key role in helping Williams regain competitive form in a tight midfield battle.

Following a strong showing in the 2023 season, the team has shown marked progress, consistently fighting for points and climbing the Constructors’ Championship standings.

Earlier in the season, Albon set his sights on closing the gap to Alpine, targeting P8 in the standings. That ambition was realized with a double-points finish in Baku, but Albon’s focus remains on moving forward.

Now, with Alpine in the rearview mirror, Albon and Williams are eyeing Haas, currently seventh in the Constructors' standings, as their next target.

"The goal is definitely forwards," Albon asserted. "I think, if you start looking backwards, you start to get complacent and take less risk, and I think the goal should always be to overtake cars in front of us."

Williams’ competitive package has improved considerably, and Albon notes that in recent races, the team has often been quicker than Haas, even if not every weekend has been perfect.

"For right now, the last few races, we've had a quicker car than the Haas for most of the weekends. If it's not been quicker, it's generally been [the case that] we can explain it, as in maybe we've got something not quite right that weekend, or whatever it may be."

However, Albon acknowledges that the midfield fight is far from simple. Aston Martin, one of their direct competitors, has been inconsistent in form, which leaves an opportunity for Williams to capitalize on weaker weekends from their rivals.

"The Aston [Martin] is a little bit hot and cold. I think sometimes they can be really quick and, when they're not quick, we can just about beat them.

“But we need to, because we need to beat the Aston to beat the Haas and the RB, just because obviously the points are for the fifth fastest team generally, so P9, P10, that's kind of our goal."

While Albon and Williams are optimistic about their pace relative to Haas and Aston Martin, they understand that simply scoring a point or two each race won’t be enough to catch their rivals.

What they need, Albon believes, are chaotic races where unexpected factors like weather, tyre strategy, or incidents can shake up the order and present opportunities to score bigger points.

"We're going to go to a few races now – I don't think Austin will be one, but think about Brazil with the weather. Think about even maybe Qatar with the tyres. Mexico is a bit of a unique circuit too," Albon explains.

"If you score one point every weekend or two points every weekend, you won't catch up to the Haas or the RB, so you actually are looking for more dynamic races, more chaotic races."

In Albon's view, the key to catching Haas and other midfield competitors will be to maximize those moments when circumstances create a chance to leapfrog several teams.

"If we can just be the fifth quickest team, we can then hope for a crazy race, and that P9 actually turns out to be like a P6 or something in there, and then we're straight away in the fight."

Though his 100th race this weekend may not come with a trophy, Albon’s recent performances suggest that more accolades could be just around the corner.

The milestone in Austin is just another step on a path that, for Albon and Williams, is pointing firmly upward. So, what about the next 100 races?

“The next 100 races, wow…” he reacts, followed by a reflective pause. “So that would be another four years, more or less, in the sport.

“Let’s see. I think there’s a high chance it would still be at Williams. I’m excited to see what the future is. I'm hoping, at my 200th GP, we’re talking about fighting for podiums and more up at the front end.

“But yes, I think that would be a very simple but nice way to celebrate my 200th – and a bigger cake!”

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