Albon hails best season yet in F1 – Vowles agrees

Alex Albon believes the 2025 F1 season marks the peak of his career so far in terms of his driving – a view echoed by Williams team boss James Vowles, who praised the Anglo-Thai racer’s consistency and mental strength.

Albon, now in his fourth year with Williams and approaching six years in F1 overall, has enjoyed a standout campaign, taking three fifth-place finishes in Australia, Miami, and Imola at the wheel of Williams’ improved machinery.

His steady points haul leaves him eighth in the Drivers’ standings on 54 points, just ten behind Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli.

A Stellar Campaign

Asked ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix whether 2025 has been his finest season in the sport, Albon didn’t hesitate.

“I would say so, yeah,” he admitted. “So far. Let’s see how the second half of the year goes but I think I’ve been driving well.

“I don’t think it’s been so different to my other years but I feel like I’ve been consistent, taking my opportunities when I can, not making mistakes, which is always a good sign and at the same time I also have the car that allows me to score the points.

“That was not necessarily the case when I first joined Williams but nowadays we’ve made such big steps... I also feel confident in the car, it goes both ways. You drive better because the car is better to drive.”

That confidence has translated into results. April was the first time Albon failed to score this year, after a blistering opening run that included P5 in Australia, P7 in China, and P9 in Japan.

For Albon, the progress has been as much about the team as his own driving.

“Really proud of everyone,” he said. “I feel like as a team we’ve made a huge step and we’ve had the results to back it.

“I feel like we’ve optimised pretty much every race we’ve been able to finish and it’s been one of those years where everything is in that good flow state and we just go to every weekend scoring points.”

Vowles: “A completely different animal”

Williams boss James Vowles has been quick to highlight just how much Albon has matured since his turbulent spell at Red Bull in 2019–20. The Briton believes his driver has transformed into one of F1’s most reliable competitors.

“I would say first and foremost, Alex, I think I’ve described this fairly aptly, but in 23, he took a major step up and then he’s stepped up every year,” Vowles explained. “That’s my impression of him.

“He has stepped up every year, but he’s always been immensely quick.

“Our first job is making sure we provide him with a car that’s able to achieve the results, which is what we’ve done, I believe, this year for the first time.”

Vowles also highlighted Albon’s mental fortitude.

“Second to that, the way I adjudicate Alex is he hasn’t really put a foot wrong,” he added.

“I struggle to look at a race where, or a qualifying where, he hasn’t done what’s required of him where has been our influence as a result of that.

“And even when things go wrong, he’s so incredibly mentally strong that he deals with it and comes back the next day and wants more.

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“So answering the question, yes, I see an Alex that is absolutely flying at the right level. And we know that Carlos is a benchmark. That’s a fact. And Alex is performing relatively well.

“If you put him up against Max today, he would be a completely different animal to what was there before. And I think that’s the clear element behind him.”

Albon’s journey from his challenging Red Bull stint to becoming a cornerstone of Williams’ resurgence underscores his growth.

As Vowles builds toward 2026, Albon’s mental strength and consistent performances signal a bright future for both team and driver with the potential to climb even higher up the F1 grid.

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