While all the attention was on McLaren’s one-two finish, Ferrari’s double disqualification and Liam Lawson’s struggles at the Chinese Grand Prix, the performance of Alex Albon went under the radar.
The chaos unravelling at the start of the 2025 Formula 1 season has played straight into the hands of Williams and Alex Albon.
The torrential rain at the start of the Australian Grand Prix caught out Albon’s new teammate Carlos Sainz as he spun out on the opening lap.
Sainz helped Albon secure a P5 finish in Melbourne but is still playing catch up after being outperformed by the Thai driver at the Chinese Grand Prix.
| Position | Drivers’ Championship | Points |
| 1 |
Lando Norris |
44 |
| 2 |
Max Verstappen |
36 |
| 3 |
George Russell |
35 |
| 4 |
Oscar Piastri |
34 |
| 5 |
Andrea Kimi Antonelli |
22 |
| 6 |
Alexander Albon |
16 |
| 7 |
Esteban Ocon |
10 |
| 8 |
Lance Stroll |
10 |
| 9 |
Lewis Hamilton |
9 |
| 10 |
Charles Leclerc |
8 |
| 11 |
Nico Hulkenberg |
6 |
| 12 |
Oliver Bearman |
4 |
| 13 |
Yuki Tsunoda |
3 |
| 14 |
Carlos Sainz Jr |
1 |
Albon reached Q3 for both the Sprint Race and Sunday’s Grand Prix while Sainz was eliminated in the second session on both occasions.
The 29-year-old then showed how much confidence he had in the car during the race as he secured an important seventh-place finish.
READ MORE: All to know about Williams Racing from team principal to Mercedes ties
David Coulthard and Jolyon Palmer loved Alex Albon’s radio message at the Chinese Grand Prix
Alex Jacques was commentating alongside David Coulthard and Jolyon Palmer on the race in Shanghai for Channel 4 and watching the midfield battle.
Albon’s race engineer spoke on the team radio and said: “We’re happy with tyres for now, but we…” but before he could finish his statement, the Williams driver said: “Yeah, I’m good, I am good.
“I am better than everyone, let’s relax. I am very comfortable.”
Palmer reacted to his comment and said: “Wow, that is some confidence, isn’t it? Alex Albon in 11th, making big changes to his car, he spoke to us yesterday and said that he wasn’t sure if it was enough.
“Nine laps later, and he is breezing it!”
Coulthard replied: “I love that! We all know that he’s one of the loveliest guys in the paddock but don’t you just love that feisty confidence?
“That tells you a lot about a racing driver’s psyche. He feels he’s got it under control, just let the race come to me.”
READ MORE: Williams driver Alex Albon’s life outside F1 with net worth, girlfriend to parents
Alex Albon has an immediate advantage over Carlos Sainz at Williams
Sainz and Albon have to be considered one of the strongest driver pairings on the grid but it’s the racer who is yet to win a Grand Prix who is performing best so far in 2025.
Williams staff have noticed a change in Albon since Sainz’s arrival and he appears to have stepped up to the challenge of having his toughest teammate since his time alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull.
He’s already surpassed his points tally from last season although credit has to go to James Vowles and his team for making a big step forward with their car.
Too busy celebrating, graphic design has taken a back seat 🥳 pic.twitter.com/jsrPCro2ZF
— Atlassian Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) March 23, 2025
Ted Kravitz believes something isn’t right with Sainz at the moment after needing three disqualifications to score his first point of the season on Sunday.
Sainz couldn’t work out what was wrong with Williams during the race weekend in China and will want to use the break before heading to Suzuka to get better accustomed to the FW47.
Albon will know he needs to take advantage of the Spaniard’s slow start and establish himself as the team’s lead driver over the next few races.
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