Were Albon’s 2023 Drives Really ‘World Champion’ Level?

Anglo-Thai F1 racer Alex Albon’s performances during the 2023 season with Williams, the British racing team has sparked discussions and debate about whether his driving skills throughout the season was truly at the “world champion” level.

James Vowles, Williams team principal, stated that Albon’s best performances, especially at the Canadian, British, and Italian Grand Prix, were up to what is expected of a world champion.

During the season, Albon accumulated an impressive 27 of the team’s total 28 points, reaching the top 10 in seven races, including scoring in a sprint race. Despite this notable performances, some incidents were also noted as less successful, such as his race round in Australia and first-round incidents in Japan and Brazil.

Vowles highlights a significant transformation in Albon throughout the season, emphasizing the increased confidence and belief in both himself and the team’s infrastructure. He compared Albon’s performances with those of previous champions such as Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, and Nico Rosberg. Despite the natural skepticism towards a team boss praising his star driver, Vowles’ claims regarding Albon and his performances have a certain authority due to his experience in Formula 1.

Albon’s own reflections on the season confirm a strong confidence in his performances. He admits he’s not the most arrogant person, but he gives himself credit for what he considers a very strong season. Albon highlights that many of his races have not been simple, and he thrives in an environment where he has to fight for every meter on the track. For him, this was his strongest season in F1, and he attributes this to the close connection he has with the team.

It is clear that Albon knew how to take advantage of the car’s good speed in a straight line to successfully defend his position against potentially faster cars. This demonstrates a driving skill worthy of a world champion. His ability to avoid mistakes and remain flawless during intense races, like in Canada, where he had half the field pushing behind him, shows maturity in his driving style.

Despite the inconsistency in the Williams car’s performance throughout the season, with the advantage on low-downforce tracks, Albon insists that the team has always extracted the best performance on a given weekend.

When examining whether Albon’s driving was truly at the “world champion” level, it is important to consider both the results and the circumstances. His strong scoring, top-10 placings, and ability to handle fast cars on straights indicate a high-quality driver. However, it is necessary to recognize the less successful moments, such as the round in Australia and the incidents in the first round.

In overall conclusion, Alex Albon has certainly delivered some really good and impressive performances in the 2023 F1 season, and team director Vowles’ claims that these are world champion quality appear to have merit. However, there is always room for discussion and debate when it comes to evaluating a driver’s performances in the world of motorsport, especially in Formula 1.