Alexander Albon’s group mates commanded extra consideration than he did throughout 2024. Logan Sargeant was proven the door after (at the very least) one too many crashes, then Franco Colapinto turned heads on his debut.
The upshot of this was Albon’s efficiency didn’t at all times obtain the scrutiny they could have executed. Though he claimed the lion’s share of Williams factors, an achievement which befitted his expertise, he additionally made relatively too many errors.
He started the 12 months knocking on the door of the factors, taking eleventh in Jeddah and Melbourne. The latter, after all, got here in Sargeant’s automotive, after Albon smashed his up in apply and Williams group principal James Vowles made the robust name to swap the only remaining chassis between his drivers.
Vowles’ religion in Albon was in the end vindicated, although it wasn’t the final crash he suffered. He ended the Japanese Grand Prix within the boundaries on lap one after tangling with Daniel Ricciardo
Nonetheless Albon was constantly the motive force who introduced Williams closest to the factors. He received inside 5 seconds in China, and drove nicely in difficult circumstances in Montreal the place he carried out a wonderful double-pass on Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon, solely to be taken out by (future group mate) Carlos Sainz Jnr.
Lastly he picked up the group’s first factors of the season with ninth in Monaco. He repeated the outcome after a battling drive at dwelling in Silverstone and once more in Monza. Zandvoort might have been even higher – he certified eighth earlier than falling foul of a technical infringement which led to his disqualification.
Albon scored his finest end of the season with seventh place at Baku, however by no means returned to the factors once more. His season got here to a patchy finish which included a number of notable errors corresponding to his collision with Oliver Bearman in apply for the Mexican Grand Prix.
However Albon’s nadir got here in Brazil, the place the group was already rising involved about its elements scarcity. He was flying in Sunday’s postponed qualifying session when he crashed closely in Q3, ending any probability of him beginning a race by which, because the Alpine drivers demonstrated, important factors had been within the offing.
There have been many different events in 2024 when Albon introduced dwelling a automotive which wasn’t a powerful contender for a factors end. However there have been a number of missed alternatives too, which he should not repeat this 12 months when he goes up towards his hardest group mate since Max Verstappen 5 years in the past.
Alexander Albon
Greatest
Worst
GP begin
7
20
GP end
7
18 (x2)
Factors
12
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