Comeback stories are often rare to come across in Formula 1. Not because the drivers themselves aren’t capable, but because seldom do second chances arrive in a sport with only 20 seats. While it worked out for Sergio Perez when he achieved an elusive win with Red Bull 9 years after his debut in 2011, the same was not the case for then-rookie Alex Albon, who was immediately thrown to the wolves after Pierre Gasly’s departure.

Despite being a formidable force in Junior Formula, Albon was fighting a downward spiral that ultimately resulted in his move to a team no one expected to be his redemption. However, once the Thai racer got going in the Williams, the rest was history. And now, as the team is planning to rebuild its future around the former Red Bull driver, an opportunity from one of F1’s historically greatest teams could come knocking right on his door.

Alex Albon could reap the benefits of Carlos Sainz’s contract expiration

While 2023 was a year of comebacks for Williams with Albon at the helm, Ferrari’s campaign with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz failed to deliver what the Tifosi have been expecting for years now. Throughout the season, it became fairly evident in the way Sainz spoke of the SF23 that the team needed to rework their entire car, which Vasseur is aiming for in 2024. However, Carlos Sainz might not be with the Maranello outfit at the end of 2025 to reap the rewards of his suffering.

F1 insiders such as Lawrence Barretto revealed that Charles Leclerc and Ferrari have been undergoing contract renewal negotiations, with the favorable outcome being the Monegasque’s long-term commitment to the Italian outfit. But when we speak of Sainz, his contract renewal faces friction not just due to his Audi aspirations but also due to Alex Albon’s single-handed charge that led Williams to P7.

After the 2023 season, the Thai racer has become a top contender for not just the Williams and Ferrari seats but at other teams as well. Barretto shared in an article, “If an agreement can’t be done, Ferrari have no shortage of options to look upon with Alex Albon possibly one of the most highly-rated that is available.” Barretto also pointed out how Alex Albon had done more than enough to prove his worth to the teams and his ability to perform at a high level consistently warranted interest from most.

He concluded, “A move to a bigger team further up the grid would be a logical next step while his stock is high.” While Carlos Sainz himself was a competent force to partner up with Albon, the tension between the Spaniard and the Monegasque seems to be on the rise, a situation Ferrari will not want to feed into at all costs. If the solution to the rising tensions is the introduction of Alex Albon, it might very well be a realistic possibility.

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But how has Alex Albon reached this stage in a fairly short amount of time in the Williams when he failed to deliver in the Red Bull? Was the team just not favoring him as much as Verstappen?

Albon dismisses favoritism from Red Bull

Given Albon’s performances outside of the Red Bull, various questions had been raised if his downtrodden stint with the Milton Keynes outfit was owing to the car favoring Verstappen’s driving style. However, the Thai racer recently shut down those rumors, sharing his learnings from the Red Bull fiasco as he heads into 2024 as one of F1’s hottest properties.

He shared with Motorsport Total, “[Red Bull] thought about how they could help me to feel more comfortable in the car. Other drivers who have gone through difficult phases in their careers, like Daniel [Ricciardo] at McLaren, found it difficult to feel comfortable in the car, so we tried to make me feel comfortable in the Red Bull.”

While that comfort never really materialized for Albon in the Red Bull challenger, the difficulties he faced both on-track and while scrolling through social media have set him up for immense success in the future. The 27-year-old shared, “The bottom line is that I feel it’s made me even better and more focussed in this area, that I understand better what feedback I need to provide, that I’ve been through these difficult months and race weekends.”

It’s safe to say Albon’s time with Christian Horner and Helmut Marko’s side has certainly molded him into a formidable force for the opposition and a great asset for his team.

Will that team continue to be Williams? Only time will tell.

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