Alex Albon says Williams are now trying to copy one thing Red Bull did before Max Verstappen’s dominance

Alex Albon is entering his fourth season with Williams in 2025. The Thai driver is hoping to lead the team forward with new teammate Carlos Sainz.

Williams unveiled their 2025 challenger – the FW47 – on Friday and gave the car its first outing at Silverstone. The Grove-based outfit are the second team to reveal their new machine after McLaren unveiled the radical MCL39 the day prior.

Albon and Sainz will be hoping the FW47 can be competitive and will propel Williams up the field. The team finished ninth in the constructors’ standings last year, scoring 17 points in a season where multiple heavy crashes proved costly.

Early indications suggest things will not improve much this season. Journalist Edd Straw says Williams have already ‘kind of given up’ on 2025 – but there is an important reason for that.

The 2026 regulations are set to transform F1 with a huge emphasis on sustainability. With teams now allowed to begin work on next year’s machine, it will be critical to get things in order early on.

It appears that next season is the priority for Williams and Albon has shared that they are taking inspiration from his old team.

Alex Albon says Williams are looking to move ‘pretty quickly’ with 2026 regulations like Red Bull in 2022

When F1 moved from turbo hybrid to ground effect machines in 2022, Red Bull aced the new regulations and took Max Verstappen to three more titles after his maiden championship in 2021.

The Dutchman has been utterly dominant in this era, winning 43 of the 68 races in the last three seasons. Verstappen claimed his fourth title over Lando Norris by 63 points.

Speaking with Sky Sports F1 at the launch of the FW47, Albon says Williams are looking to adopt Red Bull’s philosophy heading into 2026. The Thai driver stresses the team will move ‘pretty quickly’ into the new era.

Asked whether Williams’ goal was to fight at the front of the midfield in 2025, Albon replied: “I think that’s the goal. But at the same time, every team’s going to be speaking the same thing.

“There is a huge focus going into 2026. I kind of relay it similar to Red Bull. They started their season with the new regulation change back in 2022.

“They made that huge step and it’s taken everyone so long to catch up. It’s really important that year one to get right and if you can allocate that time and energy into 2026, you should.

“So, we’ve done a lot of foundational changes within the team. I think it’s going to put us in a better position when we do eventually change regulations. We will move across pretty quickly.”

What are Williams’ chances for success in 2025?

Of course, the Grove-based outfit’s focus on 2026 should not mean the team cannot be competitive in 2025. Williams won big in the driver market to retain Albon and sign Sainz for this season.

The team now have two leaders who can push the boundaries and get them back to the front of the field. James Vowles loves how Albon and Sainz are working behind the scenes already to motivate the team and lead them to success.

READ MORE: All to know about Williams Racing from team principal to Mercedes ties

Sainz reported difficulties in high-speed corners during his first Williams test in Barcelona – a slight issue, but it can be rectified in pre-season testing in Bahrain or maybe during the season.

Despite his early struggles, Jenson Button loved how Sainz was going flat out through turn one, highlighting how much the Spaniard will push the limit of the car in 2025.

Vowles believes Williams have the ‘ingredients’ to score podiums this season. This will be music to Albon and Sainz’s ears as they gear up for a fiercely competitive year.