Albon to Williams

[liner33]

Didnt think this would happen!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoiwcqHF1Vc&ab...

[anonymous-user]

Poor choice. He’s not good enough already had enough chances in a good car. Williams showing lack of ambition

[LucyP]

Williams showing that they are owned by venture capitalists.

Albon attracted Thai sponsors to Toro Rosso in 2019 and no doubt the same will happen with Williams in 2022. Music to the ears of any venture capitalist!

[HustleRussell]

One of the best available drivers with Bottas spoken for. Fellow Red Bull reject Kvyat is much more experienced but perhaps we have seen enough of him to deduce his outright potential?

Albon is a driver who surely hasn’t shown us all he can do. He had never been able to count on full support or continuity, he has never had stability, everything came too soon for him and Red Bull burned him the way they did Kvyat.

There is an emerging pattern of Red Bull refugees reaching a new standard when they find an environment where they feel secure and supported. I really feel that Marco and Mateschitz are so out of touch with the mentality of the current generation.

Williams are a rapidly improving team and Russell has shown that it can be a springboard to a top drive.

[liner33]

HustleRussell said:

One of the best available drivers with Bottas spoken for. Fellow Red Bull reject Kvyat is much more experienced but perhaps we have seen enough of him to deduce his outright potential?

Albon is a driver who surely hasn’t shown us all he can do. He had never been able to count on full support or continuity, he has never had stability, everything came too soon for him and Red Bull burned him the way they did Kvyat.

There is an emerging pattern of Red Bull refugees reaching a new standard when they find an environment where they feel secure and supported. I really feel that Marco and Mateschitz are so out of touch with the mentality of the current generation.

Williams are a rapidly improving team and Russell has shown that it can be a springboard to a top drive.

Yep agree, I dont think we have seen the best from Albon , he should have had at least one win last year

Surprised it happened though with the links to Red Bull there were more obvious choices on the cards

[budgie smuggler]

cc3 said:

Poor choice. He’s not good enough already had enough chances in a good car. Williams showing lack of ambition

I think the combination of the pressure from the team and the tricky car just killed his confidence.

[HustleRussell]

budgie smuggler said:

cc3 said:

Poor choice. He’s not good enough already had enough chances in a good car. Williams showing lack of ambition

I think the combination of the pressure from the team and the tricky car just killed his confidence.

He looked fine in his debut half season for Toro Rosso and if we’re honest he even did fine when he was prematurely thrust into the most difficult seat on the grid. No rookie driver reaches their potential with two seasons in two different teams.

[sandman77]

liner33 said:

Surprised it happened though with the links to Red Bull there were more obvious choices on the cards

Has he severed his ties with Red Bull? I though that was a sticking point for Toto.

[eps]

sandman77 said:

liner33 said:

Surprised it happened though with the links to Red Bull there were more obvious choices on the cards

Has he severed his ties with Red Bull? I though that was a sticking point for Toto.

Williams did not say whether Albon would retain links with Red Bull into next season, but Capito said: "He is a Williams driver in 2022 and we decide what he is doing and what he is not doing."

A Red Bull spokesperson said: 'We have released Alex to become a Williams Racing driver in 2022 but retain a relationship with him that includes future options."

from here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/58490068

[eps]

I think it's a good thing. Albon had glimpses of talent and shone and then had some weekends where it just wasn't happening for him. It's quite a good pairing and they should work well together.

[Bo_apex]

liner33 said:

HustleRussell said:

One of the best available drivers with Bottas spoken for. Fellow Red Bull reject Kvyat is much more experienced but perhaps we have seen enough of him to deduce his outright potential?

Albon is a driver who surely hasn’t shown us all he can do. He had never been able to count on full support or continuity, he has never had stability, everything came too soon for him and Red Bull burned him the way they did Kvyat.

There is an emerging pattern of Red Bull refugees reaching a new standard when they find an environment where they feel secure and supported. I really feel that Marco and Mateschitz are so out of touch with the mentality of the current generation.

Williams are a rapidly improving team and Russell has shown that it can be a springboard to a top drive.

Yep agree, I dont think we have seen the best from Albon , he should have had at least one win last year

Surprised it happened though with the links to Red Bull there were more obvious choices on the cards

Agree with this, Albon's shown some deft overtakes and seems good value.

[patmahe]

He could do very well with Williams, it'll be a low pressure environment with no 'Max' for the team to focus on he'll effectively be team leader assuming he beats Latifi. Williams are improving and the links to red bull and potentially the VW group in future won't do him any harm.

The number 2 seat at red bull is a poisoned chalice by now , that car really only suits Max. Alex now has a chance to show what he can do in a different car, and who knows what team will jump up the grid next season. It's also a black eye to Toto and Mercedes in the political side of the sport which red bull will love.

I wish Alex good luck and hope he shows his full potential next year.

[BaronMcLaren]

I shouted this theory the other day;

- Bottas to Alfa (but being retained on a MB driver contract) why, so they can rebrand as Sauber Mercedes at year end when Alfa pull the plug…

- Hence why Schumacher hasn’t been ‘promoted’ to Alfa, as Ferrari know their engine won’t be in the back again.

- Contracted RB driver (Albon) goes to Williams, why? Because they’re going to ditch the MB engine and go with RB powertrains.

- Ferrari junior team is now Haas rather than Alfa, so Schumacher stays and Ferrari foot the bill currently being picked up by Mazepin’s father and they install either Callum Illot or Robert Schwartzman.

• Mercedes AMG F1

- junior team Sauber
- partner McLaren
- partner Aston Martin

• Scuderia Ferrari

- junior team Haas

• Red Bull Racing

- junior team Alpha Tauri
- partner Williams F1

• Alpine F1

Have I overthought this ?


PS. if Sauber do go down the Mercedes route watch how quickly Nyck De Vries drops into place alongside Bottas… bye bye Giovinannzi

[waynecyclist]

Interesting decision, William's have a MB engine contract to 2025 yet have signed a Redbull contracted driver I cannot see MB and Toto being happy, I get the feeling that Albon will feed information back to Redbull on the MB engine.

I wonder if Williams will lose the MB engine contract at the end of the season and switch to Honda / Redbull?

[kimducati]

Lots of comment about possible leaking of IP from Merc to Red Bull, but surely that can be a two way street - Albon has been embedded in the RB setup for two or three years, and must have a few nuggets of info that would be useful to Merc (via Williams)?
IMHO the ship has already sailed with the movement in numbers between Merc Powertrains and the new RB setup, so I can't see what difference it will make, even assuming that the lads integrity is in question, which for my money, is not the case.
Kim

[Aids0G]

Really pleased Albon is driving for Williams next year, always thought he had so much more to bring to F1.

I hope he will show the pace he always hinted at with RB, few Q3 appearances and top 10 results in 2022 and he can start re-building his promising career.

2022 shaping up well already!

[Presuming Ed]

They're drivers not Engineers, how much of a threat is a driver using a competitor engine. Surely there is far more fear from someone at Mercedes Powertrains joining Red Bull then a driver.

[Yazza54]

You never know he might turn it around, he will know at this point that he needs to show his worth or he's done, last chance saloon.

[Muzzer79]

BaronMcLaren said:

I shouted this theory the other day;

- Bottas to Alfa (but being retained on a MB driver contract) why, so they can rebrand as Sauber Mercedes at year end when Alfa pull the plug…

- Hence why Schumacher hasn’t been ‘promoted’ to Alfa, as Ferrari know their engine won’t be in the back again.

- Contracted RB driver (Albon) goes to Williams, why? Because they’re going to ditch the MB engine and go with RB powertrains.

- Ferrari junior team is now Haas rather than Alfa, so Schumacher stays and Ferrari foot the bill currently being picked up by Mazepin’s father and they install either Callum Illot or Robert Schwartzman.

It's an interesting theory, but a thin one because:

1. Williams have an engine deal with Mercedes that runs to 2025 and, earlier this year, they extended that to include shareable components - notably the gearbox - from 2022.

2. Mercedes have gone on record to say that they can only supply 4 teams and even that is a struggle. With the works team, McLaren, Aston Martin and Williams, there's no room at the inn for anyone else.

3. Slightly more speculative is that Haas will be bought by Mazepin senior for 2022. So Mazepin junior isn't going anywhere.....


I think it's just a simple as Bottas didn't want to go backwards to Williams and Albon is a good driver for Williams to pick up - RB links or not.

[snotrag]

I think he might shine.

We know he has talent, we've seen some great drive, but you have to be an extremely tough cookie to be driver 2 at Team Max Verstappen Racing. Sorry, Red Bull Racing.


Interestingly (whilst we see the Schumacher/Mazespin relationship spiralling) we havent really heard of any issues with Latifi/Russell - they seem to get on really well, and in fact Latifi seems pretty chill, and actually I think has performed pretty well. I reckon that with a proper 'team mate', as Latifi may well be, Albon could do very well, and is a perfect match for that Williams Environment whilst they are rebuilding,and improving.