Alex Albon has stressed that Williams is “leaving no stone unturned” in the team’s endeavour to move up the Formula 1 grid, but he admits that progress “takes time”.
Williams moved from the bottom of the pecking order last term as it climbed to seventh place in the Constructors’ Championship, marking its best placing since 2015.
However, the Grove-based squad has endured a challenging start to the latest campaign and is one of two teams that has failed to score a point in the first six rounds.
The team’s strive to improve its revamped FW45 car has been restricted amid a shortage of parts witnessing Logan Sargeant sidelined from the Australian Grand Prix.
But Albon, who registered all but one of the British outfit’s 28 points last season, remains optimistic that Williams is in a positive place with James Vowles at the helm.
“It is true that we haven’t started the year where we wanted to, it has been tough for us as a team, we’ve not had the pace,” Albon conceded.
“We’ve been a bit delayed on our updates and upgrades which is what I talked about earlier.
“I do believe the team is strong and healthy, there is definitely going to be improvement.
“It is always nice if it happens now, but James is the right person for the job and there is definite progress.”
Williams elected to overhaul its car concept for 2024 as it bid to eradicate the previous negative characteristics that had become embedded across several rulesets.
But while that has resulted in a more stable charger in the nascent stages, Williams has been unable to capitalise on past low-downforce strengths to bag vital points.
Albon has stated that conducting such a radical overhaul is one that he supports and was essential for the team to be on a route towards returning to the sharp end.
“We’ve asked a lot from the team from last year to this year, James has really put a big effort in really moving the team forwards and getting the team back onto a level where we should be, fighting for at least for now the backfield of the top section of performance, the Astons and the Mercedes,” Albon explained.
“We aren’t quite there, the changes that we are making to be in a strong position to be one of those teams it’s a huge task.
“I have a lot of confidence in James to know he is making the right decisions, the right ways to go about it.
“But it is realisation to some extent of the steps that we have to make to be one of those teams.”
Albon is adamant that he sees progress behind the scenes, though, and has hinted that Williams is awaiting several processes to be able to make more seismic gains.
Asked whether he could see advances in the background, the Anglo-Thai driver replied: “For sure, it is more just the timing of it.
“The timing of contracts with personnel with F1, gardening leave, it is a big process and it’s a big transition that takes a lot of work.
“There are some things at Williams that are going to take time, a bit longer than we want to but it is going to be there.
“The good thing is we are acting on them areas and we are making steps and leaving no stone unturned. It is going to be better for sure, it is just the timing.”
