Why Alex Albon is the unsung hero of 2022 so far

Alex Albon rejoined Formula 1 at the start of 2022 with Williams, and has so far outperformed his machinery to score three points.

Albon fell off of the F1 grid at the end of the 2020 season following a difficult campaign with Red Bull Racing, with the energy drinks manufacturer opting for Sergio Perez in 2021.

However, despite his time in F1 seeming to have ended, the Thai driver was able to secure a drive with Williams Racing alongside Nicholas Latifi after the departure of George Russell to Mercedes.

When the move was announced, opinions on Albon were mixed, with some believing that he would be outperformed by Latifi and vice versa.

But the #23 car, in the opening five rounds of the season, has performed valiantly given the difficult car he was handed by his team on his F1 return.

Albon opened the season in Bahrain by finishing 13th, followed by a late-race clash with Lance Stroll that sent the Williams out of the race in Saudi Arabia.

Although a 13th place finish and a DNF does not sound too promising, it was in Australia that Albon really showed his talent, making one set of tyres last the entire race before switching on the final lap to take home a point for Williams.

He followed this by finishing 11th at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, just one place away from another points finish in Italy.

In Miami, the Williams was able to cruise home to a tenth place finish before being promoted to ninth after a penalty for Fernando Alonso demoted the Spaniard behind.

Following the Miami Grand Prix, Albon compared his performance in 2020 to his season so far in 2022.

Talking to Sky Sports F1, he said:

“I just feel like I’m doing a better job than I was doing a couple years ago and I’ve had a year to address the places I want to work on and mature.

“I’ve built a team around me as well now, I feel a lot of support from people closest to me but obviously at Williams.

“We’re on the rise and, myself as well, I feel like I’m improving as a driver, and I feel like I’m more prepared now than I ever was, more experienced than I ever was and I’m feeling pretty good.”

While Albon has taken home three points so far this year, teammate Latifi has not had the same performance this year.

With a highest finish of 14th in Miami, the Canadian has been outperformed by Albon despite his experience at Williams over the past two seasons.

If Albon can keep his performance, there is surely no doubt that his time at Williams could result in a strong career for the 26-year-old.

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