Alex Albon signing a new contract with Williams Racing for the 2025 season and beyond is a huge leap of faith in a team that before the Monaco Grand Prix hadn’t scored a point this year.
They also have the dilemma of what to do with second driver Logan Sargeant who was using 2023 parts on his car on the streets of Monte Carlo due to how far behind in their development Williams are, partly down to both drivers having huge crashes at the beginning of the campaign.
In an interview with Total Motorsport, Alex Albon explained one of the key reasons why he’s so optimistic about his future with Williams.
It was almost going to be a tough start to the season with James Vowles admitting he was willing to sacrifice this year for the long-term success of the manufacturer.
Williams look unlikely to match their points tally from last season at this stage, although it only takes one good upgrade to change that.
However, Albon is particularly excited about Williams have access to Mercedes’s power unit, especially when the new regulations are introduced in 2026.
He believes it could give them an immediate advantage over their rivals as everyone tries to figure out the best way to tackle the new ruleset.
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Alex Albon is excited about Mercedes power units at Williams
Mercedes are having another difficult campaign and after narrowly finishing runners-up to Red Bull last season, they’re firmly stuck in fourth place this year.
They’ll be concerned that customer team McLaren have managed to leapfrog them and have a much better understanding of the steps that need to be taken to thrive under the current ruleset.
What will encourage Albon and Williams is the Mercedes power unit is still capable of competing against the best teams on the grid.
Even if they don’t perfect the other aspect of the new cars in 2026, having what could be the fastest engine on the grid gives them an immediate advantage.
It’s also why one driver who may have been aiming further up the grid for his next race seat might end up at Williams.
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Alex Albon explains one key reason for signing a new Williams contract
Asked if having access to Mercedes’s power units played a part in him signing a new deal, Albon said: “For sure it is, I think Mercedes time and time again, when it comes to these regulation changes, they seem to be one step ahead of their rivals – not to say I don’t think other teams will do a good job.
“But I think it’s at least a safe bet. When you look at maybe the other midfield teams who are bringing in a new PU I’m sure they’re going to put in a lot of money to hit the ground running.
“At the same time, I think I’m hoping that even in 2026 if we’re still in our building phase – obviously, I want to hit that year on top form, but if it’s not there quite yet we’ll still have a very strong power unit to go alongside us.”
Alex Albon could be joined by Carlos Sainz at Williams
Another reason why having Mercedes power units is so important to Williams is it gives them a brilliant factor to refer to in negotiations and it seems to have worked on Albon.
James Vowles also wants to bring Carlos Sainz into the team to replace Logan Sargeant next season and an offer has already been made.
Carlos Sainz’s camp have been impressed with Williams and that may be in part due to the partnerships they have access to.
The Spaniard may not add to his three race victories immediately if he chooses to join Williams, but there’s a very strong chance he’s not running at the back of the grid at the start of the 2025 which can’t be said if he signs for Sauber instead.
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