Alex Albon says he does not feel any added pressure going up against Carlos Sainz after the former Ferrari driver swapped Maranello for Grove this season.

Sainz represents the first multi-race winner to join Williams since Felipe Massa in 2014 but long-time team member Albon is not feeling any added heat from the new arrival.

Alex Albon addresses extra pressure claims following Carlos Sainz arrival

Having cemented his place at Williams since joining in 2022, Albon now has the toughest task of his time there with Sainz joining but the 28-year-old insisted he felt no added pressure despite the Spaniard’s arrival.

“If I’m honest, no,” he told select media including PlanetF1.com of any address pressure. “I feel like maybe I look at it differently to other people, but I see it as, the better my teammate, the better I can go up against someone who’s got a big reputation. who’s just coming from a very strong year, possibly his best year in Formula 1 last year.

“So I think that’s a great challenge to have, but also a positive outlook for me. I feel like I believe in myself and I’m happy to go up against anyone.”

In comparing their two styles, Albon commented that both were “thinking” drivers and was encouraged by their early time spent so far as teammates.

“I think Carlos is what you’d call a thinking driver. I would put myself in the same box,” Albon said.

“And in that sense, I think it’s good. It’s a good base to work from. I think we will work well with each other.

“Obviously, we haven’t driven that much. 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 he’s 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 for their competitiveness this season, Albon predicted it would be the tightest grid in F1 history and suggested he wanted to challenge at the top end of the midfield.

“I think Abu Dhabi, last race, was a good reflection of the grid closing up,” he said. “And, you know, there were a few teams like Alpine and Sauber that brought updates.

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“I think it will be the tightest grid in Formula 1 history so that’ll be exciting. I think up at the front, I don’t think we’ll quite be there, but I do feel like with how McLaren ended their year, it it’s going to be very interesting.

“I would like to see us making a step from last year for sure, just in terms of quantifying that, it’s a little bit difficult to say.

“I’d like to be fighting up at the top half of that midfield fight. We’ll see how big of a midfield fight there is this year. I think it’s going to be closer even to the top teams, I’m hoping.”

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