Is Williams F1's ‘best of the rest' in 2025? Alex Albon's Imola drive says yes

New York Times

19-05-2025

Alex Albon dared to dream.
As the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix entered the final stages, with just a third of the race distance to go, the Williams driver was running among the top teams, sitting 12.7 seconds behind second-place Lando Norris by lap 40.
He hadn't been on a Formula One podium in five years, his last time finishing among the top three happening at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix with Red Bull.
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Oscar Piastri passed him on that lap, but Albon soon found himself scrapping with the Ferraris, taking advantage of some luck and strategy but showing his skill when it counted. He eventually brought home his second consecutive fifth-place finish, furthering his early case to be considered F1's driver of the year.
Across the seven race weekends, the 29-year-old has secured 40 points and only finished outside the top 10 once (his 12th-place finish in Bahrain). He sits only eight points off seventh-placed Kimi Antonelli in the driver standings. And, largely thanks to Albon's consistent points finishes, Williams has a 31-point lead on sixth-place Haas for the 'best of the rest' battle.
It's a monumental moment for a team undergoing a lengthy rebuilding process, as team principal James Vowles has always preached the long-term focus of the team since taking the helm in 2023. But considering Williams has already stopped development on its 2025 car and shifted its focus to next year, when the regulations change, these early gains are crucial. Millions of dollars in end-of-season prize money separate each Constructors' Championship position, and finishing fifth would be a night-and-day difference to its ninth place in 2024.
Even with Albon's impressive drive Sunday, there is a sense of 'What if?' regarding how the race shook out, creating an interesting scenario where a fifth-place finish for a midfield team may evoke mixed emotions. But it shows how far Williams has come and will go. In the final year of F1's current regulations, it has developed a car that can compete on merit against the Ferrari.
'This car is not going to be developed. The car that we have is good enough to be on par with Mercedes and Ferrari at some circuits, like we saw in Miami and here,' Albon's teammate Carlos Sainz said. 'It's not good enough for other circuits — like, Barcelona (at the end of the month), you will see we will not be in the fight. Who knows in Monaco (next weekend). We will see.'
Imola is known as a difficult circuit to overtake on. The layout is rather narrow, and building up the speed necessary to pass a car can be difficult because of the challenging corners. Qualifying and track position therefore become even more important, making Saturday a big part of the battle.
To say Williams' qualifying was strong may be an understatement. Sainz set the fastest lap in Q2, but Vowles noted in the team's recap that they knew it would be temporary. While Sainz had a compromised out-lap in Q3 and Albon struggled to feel comfortable with the car, they qualified sixth and seventh, after the Ferrari duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, plus Mercedes' Antonelli, exited in Q2.
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On Sunday, the Williams duo made a clean start and held their starting positions. Albon patiently waited to see how the race would unfold, a benefit of starting a bit further back in the top 10. He 'didn't need to push,' he said, and watched as George Russell did just that early on, his tires paying the price.
Antonelli's teammate 'kind of backed everyone up a little bit, and I could see all the cars in front sliding around. I was just staying put,' Albon said. 'I knew that, the amount that George was sliding, there were going to be cars in front (that) would have to convert to a two-stop. And so, once they all started to drop in, I thought, 'Okay, maybe I can extend the stint'.'
Sainz pitted on Lap 13 while Albon stayed out and caught a lucky break with the virtual safety car (VSC) caused by Esteban Ocon's retirement. Albon, running third, pitted for hard tires on Lap 31. A podium finish seemed a bit of a stretch for a Williams, regardless of Albon's performance, because Piastri was charging back through the grid.
Once the McLaren passed Albon, he ran fourth with a comfortable margin over Hamilton — a nine-and-a-half-second gap separating them with 23 laps to go. The pit stops during the safety car triggered by Antonelli meant Albon ran fifth, ahead of Russell, but behind Leclerc. It became a battle of blue versus red once the race restarted, Albon looking for any way past the Ferrari and his significantly older tires.
The critical moment came on Lap 60.
Leclerc and Albon were side-by-side going into Turn 2, as the latter tried to make a move around the outside. But Albon ended up in the gravel, and Hamilton slipped past when the Williams rejoined the track. The question arose, however, whether Leclerc forced Albon off the track. The Ferrari driver returned the position before the stewards concluded their investigation, avoiding a potential penalty.
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'I'm not going to say I'm disappointed with P5,' Albon said after the race. 'And honestly, when I look at the battle with Charles, I would have done the same in his position. I don't think he did anything that crazy. It's just someone trying to hold their position.'
In hindsight, Albon thought he could have been more patient about attempting an overtake on Leclerc. Both Leclerc's and Piastri's tires were significantly older than Albon's at that point.
'At that point in the race, honestly, I was feeling so good,' Albon said. 'I thought, 'Oscar's up ahead on one side, I can go after him and maybe get a P3'.'
Williams finished the race in the top five on pure pace, and Albon battled McLaren and Ferrari on merit. Vowles noted in the team's post-race recap, 'We've been fast all year long and we are progressing relative to some giants; we were running on genuine merit up in a podium position.'
While Albon may have lucked out with the VSC, other factors contributed to that finish. His strong opening stint saw him be the only driver outside the top teams able to extend the medium tire. The car has also been improving compared to previous years, and Albon commented on the better balance: 'There's clearly a downforce game, but there's also a drivability balance game, which has made it easier to drive better, gives you more confidence. You're less limited in terms of setup, what you can do with a car.'
Williams used to be in a situation where certain tracks would suit its car better, so there was an idea of where it could or could not perform, which Sainz feels is still the case judging from the quotes earlier in this article. But F1 has traveled to a variety of circuits over the past seven race weekends, and it has been able to put together strong performances, Albon bringing points home at all but one. And while Sainz only has 11 points to his name, it's worth remembering that he is still adjusting to a new team, which means Williams is also still adjusting to him.
Case in point, the Spaniard touched on how they need to improve their communication.
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'I've always told the team again, this is the year to do these mistakes,' Sainz said. 'At the same time, it's time to make a step.'
He elaborated on that point: 'Williams is not fighting for any world championships, but I do believe Williams has the potential to fight for race wins and championships in the future.'
And Sainz isn't wrong. The team is making steps with its car and the infrastructure. And it has a strong driver lineup in he and Albon. While teams are catching up as they bring upgrades, like this weekend in Imola, Williams is 'still holding our own,' Albon said.
In what is the team's strongest season since 2017, it doesn't feel like a matter of if Williams will be back, but when.
Additional reporting: Luke Smith