Albon on facing Sainz: ‘The better my teammate, the better I am’

Williams driver Alex Albon heads into the 2025 Formula 1 season with a clear mindset as he prepares to take on his new teammate, Carlos Sainz.

However, rather than feeling pressured by the former Ferrari charger’s arrival, Albon sees the Spaniard’s presence as a catalyst for his own growth and the team's overall progress.

Speaking at the launch of Williams’ FW47 at Silverstone on Friday, Albon shared his thoughts on the upcoming season, his new teammate, and the evolution of the team.

‘The Better My Teammate, the Better It Is for Me’

When asked about whether he feels under pressure to outperform Sainz, Albon was unequivocal in his response. Rather than seeing it as a threat, he views the competition as a motivator.

“No, if I’m honest, no,” Albon replied. “I look at it differently to other people, but I see it as, the better my teammate, the better that, you know, I can go up against someone who’s got a big reputation, who’s just coming from a very strong year.

“I said it before, but possibly Carlos’ best year in Formula 1 was last year. So I think that’s a great challenge to have, but also a positive outlook for me.

“I believe in myself, and I’m happy to go up against anyone.”

Sainz joins Williams following a strong season with Ferrari in 2024, which was indeed widely considered one of the best campaigns of his career.

For Albon, this presents a valuable benchmark. It also signals a step forward for Williams as the team integrates Sainz’s knowledge and experience into its operations.

Mutual Respect and Shared Goals

Albon highlighted the similarities between his and Sainz’s approach to racing, describing both himself and his teammate as “thinking drivers.”

He believes this commonality will foster a productive working relationship and benefit Williams as they develop their car.

“I think that he’s a bit of a – you call it a thinking driver. I would put myself in the same box. And in that sense, I think it’s good. It’s a good base to work from. We work well with each other," Albon said.

Although their partnership is still in its early stages, the former Red Bull driver praised the insights Sainz brings from his time at Ferrari, particularly in terms of car optimization and team operations.

“Obviously, we haven’t driven that much,” he added. “We did a little short testing in Barcelona, but even the work we do in the simulator, it’s all going in the same direction.

“And Carlos is clearly bringing a lot of information from Ferrari, different ways of working and different ways to optimize their package.

“Obviously, it’s different to Williams, but it’s very interesting, not just for the team, but for myself as well.”

Williams’ Ongoing Transformation

Williams is currently undergoing a significant transformation under the leadership of James Vowles and with investment from Dorilton Capital.

Albon acknowledges that the benefits of infrastructure upgrades may not be fully realized immediately.

“I think they will come in,” he said. “They will only help in 2026, but I don’t think they’ll—depending on what areas – I don’t think a lot of them will be optimized by 2026.

“So being totally realistic, it’s beyond then.

“That’s not to say I don’t think we should be making a good step next year, because we need to be talking about next year in early February.”

Reflecting on Williams’ progress, Albon acknowledged that the results in 2024 didn’t fully reflect the team’s efforts but emphasized the cultural shift within the organization.

“Of course, it’s a shame—I don’t think it’s fair to say the results last year were where we wanted them to be, but seeing all the work being done and seeing the changes being made…

“I don’t know if any of you have been able to visit Grove in the last year, you will see quite a big difference in just the way people are.

“I think culturally, it’s quite contagious here right now, in a good way. And there’s just an open-mindedness approach, which I don’t think was always the case when I first joined."

“And you can see that also, just as an example, now that Carlos has joined, seeing the team being reactive to that is great.

“It’s been really exciting to be a part of this journey. This is why I’m here,” concluded Albon.

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