Williams wants Alex Albon to be their Max Verstappen, ready to build the team around him as they chase former glory

James Vowles highlights Alex Albon's leadership abilities and identifies areas for improvement

Williams wants Alex Albon to be their Max Verstappen, ready to build the team around him as they chase former glory

Alex Albon (Image credit: GPFans) and Max Verstappen (Image credit: GPFans)

At the 2023 Canadian Grand, Alex Albon drove a fantastic ride to finish P7 in the race. After a long stint on hard tires, the Thai driver gave his team second points finish this season. Albon’s drive earned him praise from all high personnel, including his team principal James Vowles. The Brit also claims he doesn’t mind seeing Alex in the future with Williams.

James Vowles expressed his belief that Alex is highly underrated and conveyed his immense satisfaction with having him as part of their organization presently and for the foreseeable future. When questioned about the possibility of constructing Williams’ future around Albon, Vowles responded with a “Yes.” Furthermore, Vowles acknowledged Albon’s Vowles recognized Albon’s leadership and ongoing discussions for improvement.

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“I think he’s very underrated and I’m incredibly happy that he’s here in our organisation today and here for a long time,” said Vowles. When asked if he would consider building Williams’ future around Albon, Vowles said: “Yes. Yes, I would. He’s got leadership qualities to him.”

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Also read: James Vowles appreciates Alex Albon’s racing at the Canadian GP, calls it a “drive of champions”

James Vowles praises Alex Albon’s Canadian Grand Prix brilliance

Williams team principal James Vowles (Image credit: Reddit)

Described by Vowles as an exceptional driver, Albon’s performance became even more impressive. He put in a massive effort, completing 58 laps on hard tires to finish in seventh place, his best result for the team. This outstanding accomplishment earned him the fan-voted Driver of the Day award. Albon successfully held up cars behind him to gain his second points finish of the year.

Vowles commended Albon for driving flawlessly despite being chased by four high-speed cars with better tires. Vowles noticed Albon’s smart moves, like adjusting his car’s position after Turn 10 and in other corners. Vowles acknowledged that Albon didn’t boast about it but believed that his performance was truly exceptional, like that of a champion.

“He didn’t put a foot wrong at a point where he was under pressure from four incredibly fast-charging cars behind,” Vowles said. “Repositioning his car on the exit of Turn 10 and a few other corners was very clever,” his praise continued for Alex. “He is not someone that’s going to go and boast about it to the world. But to me, that was a drive of champions that he did,” he said.

After a near-perfect drive at Montreal, Alex Albon leapfrogged several drivers to claim P12 in the drivers’ standings. Albon’s first season points were classified when they finished P10 at the Bahrain GP. Williams, with seven points, is placed ninth in the constructors’ standings ahead of AlphaTauri.

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