There’s no query about which of Williams’ two drivers is the strongest. A year-and-a-half into their partnership, the battle between Alexander Albon and Logan Sargeant has been extra one-sided than any within the subject.
However Albon’s drubbing of Sargeant really makes it tougher to evaluate simply how good he’s relative to his friends all through the sector. As his staff principal noticed, if one driver is all the time forward, it may be tough to ensure that the complete potential of the automobile is really being realised.
On the summer season break, Albon has far fewer factors than he did at this level within the championship final 12 months – solely 4 in comparison with the 21 he’d accrued after the 14th spherical final 12 months. However whereas he hasn’t had as many flashes of giant-killing brilliance that he confirmed all through 2022 and 2023, like Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Ocon behind him on this listing, Albon has been placing within the work every weekend.
Though he hasn’t had as many highs and excellent outcomes as in earlier years, his ability can nonetheless be seen in his consistency. Regardless of driving for the ninth-ranked staff within the championship, Albon has solely been eradicated from Q1 on two events in 2024 – fewer instances than the likes of Yuki Tsunoda, Nico Hulkenberg, Daniel Ricciardo, Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly… and even Sergio Perez.
Though he’s solely secured a pair of prime ten finishes in 2024 thus far, it simply may have been extra had been it not for the remarkably excessive reliability charge this season. He completed eleventh twice in Jeddah and Melbourne, then was operating in eleventh once more in Montreal earlier than he was caught out by Carlos Sainz Jnr spinning in entrance of him and taking him out of the race.
Alexander Albon
| Greatest | Worst | |
|---|---|---|
| GP begin | 9 (x2) | 14 (x4) |
| GP end | 9 (x2) | 18 (x2) |
| Factors | 4 | |
Even his second factors end of the season at his staff’s dwelling grand prix at Silverstone got here regardless of battling by entrance wing harm sustained on the opening lap. His efficiency in Spa was additionally very robust, solely three-thousandths of a second shy of denying Perez a spot in Q3 earlier than ending inside a second of Lance Stroll in what would grow to be twelfth.
It’s laborious to have a look at any weekend of the season thus far the place Albon has finished something lower than a suitable job. The apparent low level was Melbourne, the place his apply error left Williams with just one raceable chassis for the remainder of the weekend. Though Sargeant didn’t need to be punished for his staff mate’s mistake, staff principal James Vowles’ choice to offer Albon Sargeant’s automobile for the remainder of the weekend was one many may perceive. Though it did not repay with factors, Albon solely simply missed out on the highest ten after a gutsy drive which solely validated his staff’s controversial name.
However that was the one true unfavorable of observe from the primary section of Albon’s 2024 season. Thrashing a staff mate who is probably going the Twentieth-best driver within the subject is hardly an excellent achievement, however Albon has additionally put in loads of spectacular performances that stand on their very own deserves. The competitors between him and Sainz subsequent 12 months shall be really fascinating to behold.
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