Latest news with #Albon
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Alex Albon Reveals Christian Horner's Contribution To His F1 Career
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Williams Racing driver Alex Albon revealed that former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner played an important role in elevating his F1 career. Albon made his premier class racing debut with Red Bull's junior F1 team, Racing Bulls (then Toro Rosso), in 2019. Given his impressive performance, Albon was soon elevated to Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen in the same year. However, the performance disparity compared to the future world champion meant he was dropped to a reserve driver role in 2020. In 2022, the Thai-British driver embarked on a new F1 chapter with Williams. Albon admitted that he received extensive help from Horner. When asked ahead of the Belgian GP if Horner's sudden departure from Red Bull came as a surprise, he said: "Yeah, I was, I think, obviously someone who's helped me a lot in my Formula One career, and obviously he's been in the sport for a long time with a lot of success. So, you could say he's built that team up. So to see him go, that's the first time." Alexander Albon of Thailand and Williams answers questions during the FIA press conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 3, 2025 in Northampton, United Kingdom. Alexander Albon of Thailand and Williams answers questions during the FIA press conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 3, 2025 in Northampton, United has led Red Bull since its inception in 2005, a period that saw six constructors' championships and eight drivers' titles. When Albon was asked what Horner did to bring Red Bull that kind of success, he said: "Yeah, I mean, obviously I joined quite late into the Christian Horner kind of era, let's say. So, on my side, it was clear that he had his people, and he brought everyone up together. "I think there were a lot of long-standing members at Red Bull who were there for a long time and still are to this day as well. "It seemed he had a good knack for finding the right people and then building a good circle around them. They seemed to chip away at it and very quickly get to the top. I guess that's a part of his success." Horner left a farewell note on Instagram following his sudden ousting, the reason for which remains unknown. Newsweek Sports reported his statement: "After an incredible journey of twenty years together, it is with a heavy heart that today I say goodbye to the Team I have absolutely loved. Every one of you, the amazing people at the factory, have been the heart and soul of everything that we have achieved. Win and lose, every step of the way, we have stood by each other as one and I will never forget that. It's been a privilege being part of and leading this epic Team and I am so proud of our collective accomplishments and you all. "Thanks to the amazing partners and fans who enabled us to go racing. Your support has helped grow the team from its humble beginnings to an F1 powerhouse that laid claim to 6 Constructors Championships and 8 Drivers Championships. "Equally, thank you to our rivals, with whom there would be no racing at all. You've pushed us, challenged us, and enabled us to achieve accolades we never dreamed possible. The competition has made every victory sweeter and every setback an opportunity to develop and grow. "Formula 1 is a sport built on relentless ambition, passion, and respect. The rivalries have been fierce, but the mutual drive to innovate and raise the bar is what has made this journey so special. "It's been an honour to be part of this incredible era of motorsport. I leave with immense pride in what we've achieved and also with what's in the pipeline for 2026 - and huge respect for everyone who's made F1 the pinnacle it is today. Thank You."
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Alex Albon Reveals Hope for 2026 Regulation F1 Car: 'Wasn't That Shocked'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Williams Racing Formula One driver Alex Albon has opened up about his experience with the 2026 F1 car on the simulator back at the team's headquarters in Grove. Albon gave an honest assessment, revealing that the car of the new era is much different and more difficult to drive than the current car. F1 will experience the onset of new regulations next year, where cars will be powered equally by electric power and an internal combustion engine. The 2026 car will also be lighter and slightly smaller, featuring active aerodynamics on the front and rear wings. Albon addressed the media ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, revealing his first impression of the 2026 car. He said: "It's difficult. It's difficult to drive. Technologically, the load on the driver is immensely high as well. Alexander Albon of Thailand and Williams answers questions in the TV media pen during the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 6, 2025 in Northampton, United Kingdom. Alexander Albon of Thailand and Williams answers questions in the TV media pen during the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 6, 2025 in Northampton, United Kingdom."It's quite important to know how to use the engine and the deployment, and you have to learn a different driving style. But it's part of the regulations. It's technology at the end of the day. "So on our side, I wasn't that shocked by the car — the performance of the car. It was more just getting my head around the PU and understanding how to make the most of that." When quizzed about his overall experience of the 2026 car, and if the Grands Prix next year would be different from what fans are used to watching, Albon said: "I honestly can't tell you. I don't think... in the end, I just want good racing. I think we all just want good racing. "I'm not sure the speeds of the cars or the way they're driven is going to change too much. I don't think it's going to become kind of Formula E style, where you're getting these massive lift-and-coast sessions and all those kinds of things. "But I don't think it'll change too much." Albon added that drivers will have an additional role to play, apart from just going round the corners as fast as possible. He said: "There is a lot that the driver has to do. I don't think it will always purely come down to how good the driver is around the corner. A driver who's quite smart and can understand the system — and even abuse the system, understand how it works, and become efficient with it — they're going to find performance in that as well." Considering the other drivers haven't had many positive things to say about the 2026 car, Albon added: "I'm not moaning. I'm just saying it's different — like, it's really different to drive. I think the drivers that are really going to go well on this are the ones that can be really adaptable. "I think you're going to have to have a very open-minded approach to how to drive these cars. And I believe that the drivers who have the capacity to drive and understand how to drive them... you know, even these cars now, at the end of the day, you're driving them flat out. "There's a bit of PU clipping and all these kinds of things, but for next year, it's going to be a bit more of a complete package in terms of how you get that out of them."
Newsweek
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Alex Albon Reveals When Williams Will Be Winning Again
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Williams driver Alex Albon predicts when the team should end up fighting for race wins — a goal that is well within reach, according to the Thai-British driver. Since the arrival of team principal James Vowles, Williams has faced higher expectations and a raised profile. Vowles has bestowed belief in the team again — pushing the team to keep building and improving with the hope of becoming a top team. The Grove-based racing team went through years at the bottom of the table. They were a backmarker team that felt lucky to score a point during a race. Alexander Albon of Thailand and Williams looks on prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 06, 2025 in Northampton, England. Alexander Albon of Thailand and Williams looks on prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 06, 2025 in Northampton, the team is a regular point-scoring team and features a strong driver lineup of Albon and Carlos Sainz. Vowels' transformation of Williams is inspiring Albon to dream big for the future. "We are a very different team to a top team at the moment," Albon told the BBC. "We're still on a journey to get there, and we talk very openly about the journey and our weaknesses as a team. "I don't think we are, in all areas, at the maximum of our potential, and that's regarding the car performance. That's everything that goes on behind the scenes, the performance, the engineering. "I don't think next year we're going to be in a position to fight for wins, and I think it will be very rare to get a chance at podiums, but that's my mindset, that's our mindset. "2027 will be an interesting year, and then realistically, I know this sounds really far away, but 2028 is kind of where I expect us to be, up at the front end. I think that's realistic." Williams hopes to make a significant step in 2026 when the new engine regulations are introduced. Mercedes power units power the British team — giving the team hope for the coming seasons. Mercedes is known for producing amazing engines when a new formula is adopted. Williams also brought in massive changes to its technical staff, that are improving the team's aerodynamic capabilities. It has been decades since the team last fought for a world championship, and with Vowles at the helm, Albon believes it is only a matter of time before the team gets back to the top step. More F1 news: How Lewis Hamilton Made the F1 Movie Production More Expensive For more F1 news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Newsweek
05-07-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Alex Albon Frustrated with Williams' 'Compromise' in British GP Qualifying
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Williams driver Alex Albon has revealed his frustration after he qualified P14 for Sunday's British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Albon believes his FW47 car is fast enough to help him secure a top ten finish, but a "compromise" in qualifying resulted in the setback. The Thai-British driver noted improvements in the car, hence the bold claim of it being capable of being in the top 10. However, he hinted that his team needs to improve its strategy to help him and Carlos Sainz secure faster lap times, since it wasn't ready for his second Q2 run today. Speaking to the media after qualifying, Albon said: "I think internally we need to review what went on there because we put on a set of tires when Franco crashed, and then we went out on track when it was quite clear it was gonna be a red flag, so we ended up basically wasting a set in qualifying. "We went into Q2, run one on a new set of tires. To this point we're looking good, we're feeling good, and then I actually do a pretty good lap on the Q2 run one considering it's used tires, and then we go into Q2 run two and we then go out kind of at the very front of the pack, where Max is, and Max's outlap is about 15–20 seconds a lap slower than ours. Alexander Albon of Thailand and Williams answers questions in the TV media pen during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 5, 2025 in Northampton, United... Alexander Albon of Thailand and Williams answers questions in the TV media pen during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 5, 2025 in Northampton, United Kingdom. More"So we then do Q2 run 2 on our final new set, basically not even close to being ready. Q2 was honestly compromised, let's say that. "So, we need to review what we... we generally do go on the early side in qualifying. We like to go on the early side. Today was too much. We need to understand why we like to go so early all the time." Elaborating on his frustration, Albon added: "We've been quick all weekend, and we were quick in Q1. We were quick in Q2 run one. And then it's like yeah, P14, very frustrating." Albon then highlighted the improvements on the car, but emphasized that there was scope for improvement. He said: "I think even just this qualifying session is highlighting that we're going to have a quicker car. We're going to be more competitive. Our car is getting faster and faster, and we need to make sure that we use it. "We're obviously falling down a little bit in terms of the updates and upgrades from other cars, but we still should have a car that's in Q3 today — or possibly two — and in many ways, we feel like we let ourselves down. "I think on my side as well, I'm not saying I'm happy with my job in Q2, but we don't make it easy when we create these situations like we did in Q2. So yes, we're always improving, we're always analyzing. "I think, as Williams go, I think we're some of the most self-critical, focusing on ourselves and really trying to improve these areas. So in that sense, I know we're going to get there. "It's just that days like today, and the last couple of weeks, just highlight still some areas to improve." Sainz went on to secure P11 in qualifying, but a 10-place grid penalty for Oliver Bearman could mean that the Spaniard could start the race in P10 and Albon in P13.
Telegraph
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Live F1 British Grand Prix practice: latest FP1 updates
FP1 for 2025 British Grand Prix starts at 12.30pm BST Latest updates Luke Slater live updates. Tom Cary Senior Sports Correspondent, at Silverstone 04 July 2025 1:18pm 1:18PM FP1 - James Vowles on Albon's latest lap 'Not a bad place to be... he lost it a little towards the end of the lap,' he says. 'Through turn one we're pretty quick.' 12 minutes remain. 1:16PM FP1 - Albon moves seventh Just over four tenths off the ultimate pace of Lewis Hamilton. Let's see what Carlos Sainz can do. 1:15PM FP1 - Red/Racing Bull/Bulls update The two fastest cars in the Red Bull stable are the Racing Bulls of Hadjar and Lawson in sixth and seventh... Max Verstappen is ninth and Arvid Lindblad is 18th. Albon becomes the first Williams to leave the garage on something other than hard tyres. He is out on the softs and goes fastest of anyone in sector one... 1:13PM FP1 - Hamilton hooks up a lap And it's good enough to put him fastest of all! Not by a great deal, just 0.023sec, but he leads the two McLarens and then his team-mate. Tidy stuff. The Ferrari was improved in Austria (but still miles behind McLaren). 1:09PM FP1 - 🟨 Yellow flags🟨 Bortoleto spins at Copse! He goes round... and round again... and round again, but stays just on the track and avoids the barriers. That will be a relief. He lost the rear end as he went over the exit kerb. 1:07PM FP1 - Hamilton appears to abandon his lap He had done the fastest first sector but then aborted the lap in the middle sector for some reason. We have yet to see what that is. Russell has popped up into second, within a tenth of Leclerc. 1:06PM FP1 - Leclerc moves fastest He has to negotiate some traffic towards the end of the lap but still finishes 0.183sec faster than Piastri (below), who had marginally improved on Norris's previous best time. 1:03PM FP1 - Not a tremendous improvement from Norris on the softs He goes fastest but only by 0.148sec over Hadjar's previous best. A few other soft runners not exactly setting the world alight but let's see what the Ferraris and Piastri can do. Looks promising so far. 1:02PM FP1 - There is another junior driver in this session Nico Hulkenberg has given up his Sauber to Estonian Paul Aron who is in fact an Alpine junior driver. Make of that what you will. He is currently 15th, 1.334sec off the pace. Soft tyre runs have now begun, so times should improve.
