It’s only September and there are nine races left in 2021, but the silly Formula 1 season is nearing its end.
In a few busy days off the track in 2022, Valtteri Bottas switched from Mercedes to Alfa Romeo, George Russell took his place, while Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri kept Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda.
Williams has now quickly moved to replace Russell with his longtime friend and Red Bull refugee Alexander Albon. The 25-year-old Briton, who competes under a Thai license, will partner with current driver Nicholas Latifi. They were previously teammates in the Formula 1 Feeder Championship Formula 2 in 2018. That year, Albon finished third, only behind Russell and McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Albon started with 38 Grands Prix in 2019 and 2020, most of them with Red Bull Racing, but was overshadowed by Max Verstappen and replaced by Sergio Perez for 2021. However, Gasly’s earlier struggles – which are now thriving at AlphaTauri – and the current troubles veteran Perez is facing have put some of Albon’s setbacks into perspective. Red Bull rated Albon high and kept him as a tester for 2021, appreciating his simulator input, but he was dying to race in 2022. Williams popped up as an option and the deal is now closed.
Interestingly enough, Red Bull is keeping “future options” on Albon despite releasing him for Williams. Red Bull will officially become a power unit supplier in 2022 when it takes over the IP of the current Honda technology to supply its two Formula 1 teams. Williams has been supplied by Mercedes since 2014 and has a contract until 2025. Albon’s predecessor Russell was a long-time Mercedes up-and-coming driver. Mercedes Formula E champion Nyck de Vries was linked to a Williams seat but missed out. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff suggested that Albon had to cut all ties with Red Bull before moving to Williams, but that didn’t happen. Williams boss Jost Capito has not ruled out the possibility of Red Bull logos appearing on Williams’ Formula 1 car next year; Capito previously worked for Sauber and the Volkswagen World Rally Team when Red Bull was its sponsor. Nonetheless, he pointed out that identifying Russell’s replacement was by no means easy.
Formula E driver Nyck de Vries was considered for the Williams seat, which went to Alex Albon.
Joe Portlock – Formula 1
“It was a very difficult decision because there are some really good and promising drivers out there,” said Capito. “For us we finally got a combination of youth and Formula 1 experience and we really fit into the team because Alex and Nicholas were teammates in Formula 2 and therefore have a very good relationship. Where Williams is right now, we need to make sure we have good relationships and communication between both sides of the garage. Since they have worked together in the past, they know each other, this has also been taken into account. “
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Capito mused that de Vries “would deserve a seat in Formula One,” but “when we have to balance youth and experience, Alex has an advantage over Nyck. That doesn’t mean that Nyck would have been worse on the field next year, that doesn’t mean at all, and I think Toto got it in the end. We’re not a ‘B-Team’, we’re not a satellite team, we have to be the right ones for us Make decisions and he fully respects that. “
Capito has hinted that he would like Albon to stay long-term and the youngster is eager to snag the olive branch that got in his way.
“If you take a year out of Formula One, it’s never certain that you will come back,” Albon admitted. “I am very grateful to Red Bull and Williams for believing in me and for helping me on my way back into the field. It’s also been great to see all of the progress Williams has made as a team this year and I look forward to helping them continue that journey into 2022. “
Williams ranks eighth in this year’s rankings after gaining gains due to a revised structure. It was last ended previously in 2018, 2019, and 2020 and faced long-term financial concerns. The Williams family, who started the team in the 1970s, left in mid-2020 when a buyer was found. Capito joined in early 2021 and has made far-reaching changes in his plant. She sees the new Formula 1 regulations for 2022 as an opportunity to continue her upward trend. Latifi joined in 2020 and scored in Hungary and Belgium; While he lacked the speed of one lap against Russell, he did comparatively well in the race trim.
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“I think Williams really has all the ingredients to move up the grid and I’m determined to continue to play my part during this journey,” said Latifi. “I’ve felt at home with Williams since I arrived and that has been an important factor in my development as a driver. The race results are moving in the right direction, especially in the last few months when I was able to earn my first F1 points. “
With this week’s announcements, six of the 20 seats for 2022 have been officially committed. At Aston Martin and Haas, their drivers have multi-year contracts and will stay until 2022 pending final communication. Realistically, this means that only the second seat at Alfa Romeo remains free. This has been occupied by Ferrari partner Antonio Giovinazzi since 2019. It puts Alfa Romeo in a strong negotiating position as potential candidates try to make their claim by 2022.
How do you rate this year’s silly seasonal movements in Formula 1 so far? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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