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.
Now, 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.
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