The FW45 chassis of Williams has provided a step-up in performance this season, and the Grove-based team currently sits in seventh place in the F1 Constructor’s Championship on 28 points – one place better than its eighth-spot finish in 2021.
This is largely thanks to the on-track efforts of Alex Albon, who has single-handedly taken the fight to the rest of the midfield, with Logan Sargeant contributing only 1 point in what has been a challenging rookie season for the 22-year-old American.
Despite a couple of DNFs early in the season, the 27-year-old Thai-British driver has delivered top-10 finishes in seven races and has maximised the package at every opportunity. Strong straight-line speed, tracks like Canada and Monza offered him chances to place higher up the field, which he duly did thanks to his considerable ability.
Of course, many in the sport believe that the improvement in William’s form since James Vowles took over as the new team principal is no coincidence.
Since his days as chief strategy engineer for 2009 World Champions Brawn GP, followed by a stint with the dominant Mercedes AMG team under Toto Wolff, Vowles has impressed with his calm, knowledgeable demeanour, and his recent coup of bringing Pat Fry to the team in a senior technical role should continue to pay dividends in the coming seasons.
With only one race to go until the curtain descends on the 2023 calendar, a decent showing at Yas Marina Circuit should consolidate Williams’ position ahead of its close rivals AlphaTauri, Alfa Romeo and Haas.
