ALEX IN WONDERLAND

Following George Russell’s departure from Williams, his vacated seat proved to be yet another piece of real estate for Mercedes and Red Bull to fight over. Red Bull won that one too, allowing Alex Albon to make a welcome return to the F1 grid for 2022 with the caveat that it would relinquish its control over the Anglo-thai driver to appease engine supplier Mercedes.

Williams chief Jost Capito highlighted Albon’s previous F1 experience as one of the key factors in his signing, although Russell is said to have lobbied for his friend and former F2 title rival from within. Mercedes wanted to try to use the Williams seat to lift Formula E champion Nyck de Vries into F1, but the Dutchman’s wait must sadly continue.

With Albon, Williams gets arguably the best like-for-like replacement for Russell available, and reunites its new driver with Nicholas Latifi after the duo raced for DAMS in F2 back in 2018. No longer having to cope with the pressure associated with Red Bull, Albon should prove to be a great asset for Williams. With renewed vigour and a strengthened technical line-up, the team will be hoping that its 2022 contender can escape the draw of the back of the grid, and give it a springboard to challenge for points on a consistent basis. Albon, having earned plaudits for his part in helping Red Bull turn the difficult RB16 into a title-winning RB16B, will be central to those plans.