16/02/2022
NEWS STORY
Admitting that his year out of F1 will mean a certain amount of 'ring rust', Alex Albon believes that the rules overhaul will be a benefit as he heads back to the grid.
"There is a feeling that there's going to be a bit of rust to get rid of," says the youngster, who was dropped by Red Bull at the end of 2020.
"However, I think on that reset of new car, new regulation, that goes in my favour," he adds, "it's a reset for everyone. My plan is to hit the ground running as hard as I can.
"Of course there will be that little bit to go but the team have helped me with that and we're working together, trying to make sure we can attack straight away. And I know I will just get better through the season as will the car, and we're kind of going together on that."
Asked where he would like to see Williams at season end, he responds: "I think to begin with it's really about where we started, it's just our starting point. I feel like if we're in the midfield, if we're in the upper midfield, that's great. If we're towards the back half, that's fine.
"It's all about how quickly can we adapt and overcome," he continues. "How quickly can we progress through the year? Because some teams are going to get it right, some teams are going to get it wrong.
"The team's been super nice," he says of his new home. "They clearly know what they're doing and on my side, it was going to a team where, yes, you can tell there's trust there straight away, they believe in me. And on my side I'm trying to bring as much knowledge, as much experience as I can to them."