Williams driver Alex Albon was described as Championship material by his team principal, James Vowles, in one of his recent interviews.
Alex Albon gives the vibe of one of the kindest people on the grid. And it hurt his driving style throughout his first two seasons at Red Bull.
However, ever since he found his way back into F1 as he got his chance at Williams, he turned things around. His team principal, James Vowles, told SpeedCafe:
"He's fiercely competitive. He's actually very much two different characters. If you spoke to him right now, you'd think, ‘Loveliest man I ever met that's driven a fast car.'"
However, the 27-year-old improved his behavior track. He improved it to the point where team principals recognized it and ranked him as the eighth-best driver of the 2023 season- despite competing with one of the slowest cars.
"Put the helmet on, and actually, you see a little bit more of this aggressive create that pops out and takes no prisoners."
The Thai driver did miracles with his Williams last year and consequently became one of the most attractive drivers on the driver market ahead of the 2024 season.
It is rumored that top teams like Red Bull are offering him 3-year contracts, and we might see him competing for the Championship in a couple of seasons.
"The Alex at the end of the year is one that really has come out of his shell, and I've described him as a champion. I've had the fortune to work with a number of champions in my time. There are drives [in 2023] that are on that level."
Vowles worked with quite a few World Champions in his career. The list includes names like Jacques Villeneuve, Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button, and Lewis Hamilton.
To be compared to World Champions by someone with the perspective of James Vowles is a massive compliment for Albon. The British team principal added:
“I'm pleased, incredibly pleased he's here, and obviously he's become the backbone of why we've had success [in 2023].