Albon warned to push Williams harder

Sam Hall
Thursday 15 December 2022 17:20

Departed Williams technical director François-Xavier Demaison has claimed that Alex Albon is 'too nice' and should push the team harder.

Albon enjoyed a strong season after returning from a year in a reserve capacity at Red Bull to take up a full-time race seat with Williams.

Despite often being able to challenge on single-lap pace, much like George Russell during his time with the team, the Thai-British driver was unable to replicate this on race day and scored just one point from the final 13 races.

Praising Albon's technical ability, Demaison, who left his role at the same time as CEO and team principal Jost Capito ahead of the new year, said: "It was a really good help for us because we are only engineers and we need drivers to give us a direction.

"And because of his experience, it’s helped us and given us the right direction.

"So, it’s really a good help and he’s a nice person – sometimes too nice. He needs to be a bit harder with the team and push us a bit more – but I’m working on this."

Asked if Albon is too nice and doesn't push Williams hard enough, Demaison added: "He does not, it’s his nature – unless he has the helmet on, then he can be hard – but he should be a bit harder in the debrief.

"Every day I tell him, ‘you have to be a…’ a word I will not pronounce! If you want to be a world champion, you have to be like this!’"