F1 star aims to secure EMPHATIC championship with historic team

An F1 star believes that he can become world champion after deciding to pen a contract extension with his current team.

The 2024 driver market has been one of the craziest in recent history, triggered at the start of the year with Lewis Hamilton's stunning move to Ferrari from Mercedes.

READ MORE: Ferrari F1 star CERTAIN Red Bull championship battle is on

Since, Carlos Sainz and Esteban Ocon have found themselves searching for a seat, and Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, and Sergio Perez have signed new deals at Aston Martin, Williams, and Red Bull respectively.

Of the three drivers to sign a new deal, Albon finds himself lowest in the standings at a team which has been towards the lower end of the grid for years. Regardless, the Thai driver believes he can win a title with Williams.

Why is Albon staying at Williams?

Albon’s stock has risen in the paddock after a difficult spell at Red Bull, so his decision to stick with Williams when other options further up the grid may have been on the table surprised some.

The 28-year-old, though, is confident that he has made the right choice in signing a fresh multi-year deal.

“I think James summed it up pretty well, if you’re trying to plan long-term and foundational changes within a team it’s going to take time so you can’t truthfully expect short-term solutions at the same time,” he told Total Motorsport.

“I know that this year is not going to be easy for us, I know next year is going to be a step better but it’s not going to be the silver bullet and then when the regulation changes, that’s really when you get the fruits of your hard work,” he added.

Whilst Williams will be satisfied with making these season-by-season gains, Albon - like any driver - is buoyed by his belief that he can win in F1 with the team.

READ MORE: Hamilton confused by 'slow' F1 rules

Asked whether he can compete for victories and title at Williams, Albon said: “I can. Realistically, let's look at our next big goal, which is to be scoring regular points, I think we can start achieving that next year. And then my next big thing would be to score a podium and then eventually a win.

“But that realistically would be further down the line unless you have a crazy race coming up, I’m not expecting huge changes in the short term, it’s going to take some time.”

Albon draws some of his confidence from the 2026 regulations, which as recently unveiled by the FIA, will see new engines, something Mercedes mastered in 2014.

“Mercedes time and time again, when it comes to these regulation changes, they seem to be one step ahead of their rivals – not to say I don’t think other teams will do a good job.

“But I think it’s at least a safe bet. When you look at maybe the other midfield teams who are bringing in a new PU [power unit] I’m sure they’re going to put in a lot of money to hit the ground running.”

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