Vowles: Albon signed with Williams until end of 2025

Albon has impressed since joining Williams, always pushing the mediocre F1 cars the team has given him to the limit, punching above his weight more often than not.

And the F1 community grappled with Lewis Hamilton's sensational switch to Ferrari in 2025, Albon's name popped out several times as a candidate for the seven-time F1 Champion's seat.

Williams launched their 2024 challenger, the FW46, on February 5, and their boss James Vowles was quizzed by the media about Albon's chances of switching to Mercedes.

"Alex is signed with Williams until the end of 2025," Vowles said. It's not something I've been very public about, because I don't feel the need to. So any reports that you're seeing, and there's one in particular, that individual is speculating at best.

"It is our job in Williams to create a new environment that deserves someone of the calibre of Alex. Simple as that," the Briton added. "And I've said that from the beginning and I still maintain that. He is an incredible driver that deserves his place towards the front.

"He did drives last year, they're no different than some of the other champions I've worked with. He kept half the field behind in one race, and we put him in difficult positions, and he overcame that to score points.

"He and I have good chats about where we want to move forward, and where we want to move forward is, we want to have our journey together in this team for a long time. We have to earn that right. It's not given by any stretch of imagination, nor should it be for that matter.

"So it's back to the original question, we have to demonstrate to the world that we're not Williams of old, that we're not looking backwards, we're moving forward continuously," Vowles insisted.

Pushed whether he would block Albon's move should Mercedes come calling, Vowles responded: "Would I stand in his [Albon] way?

"I have the responsibility of Williams on my shoulder, that's the most important thing to me. It's not the responsibility towards one individual. In this case, Alex, it's a responsibility towards the team.

"So should any decision go that way, it's because I'm very clear in my mind that I've made decisions that are correct for the team's long term goals, not short term," Vowles concluded.

Williams finished the 2023 F1 season seventh in the Constructors' Standings, with 28 points. Albon scored 27 of those points alone with teammate Logan Sargeant, who will carry on with the team in 2024, contributing with one.