The 2023 Formula One season marked a significant reversal in the fortunes of the Williams Racing Team, with the team finishing seventh in the 2023 Constructors Championship. The last season that the team was able to secure a good championship position was in 2017 with a fifth placed finish.

So for the team to move closer to the midfield was a significant achievement under the ownership of Dorilton. The team had new management with James Vowles joining as Team Principal, who was very much a guiding light in terms of the overall direction of the team but another highly valued part of the team would have to be Alex Albon.

Alex would finish the 2023 season with a series of outstanding results resulting in 27 points of the team's 28 for the season.

Alex was first seen at Williams in 2022 and that season would see him and team-mate Nicholas Lattifi suffer from the lack of competitiveness of the FW44. 2023 would see Alex joined by rookie Logan Sargeant but it also saw the team take a step forward with the performance of the 2023 FW45.

But even so the FW45 still was a car with limitations, in particular a lack of downforce, so the results achieved by Alex were made even that much more amazing in that he was able to take the best parts of the cars performance, in particular its straight line speed, and deliver some very memorable on-track moments.

Combined with the fact that the team only carried out one upgrade of the car and then switched focus to their 2024 car made Alex's achievements that more note worthy.

In a recent interview with the media Alex spoke of the 2023 season and his performances in light of the cars short comings. He acknowledges that the team had made steps forward but that even so they still had a difficult car to work with.

Alex said: “We’re on the right path. We had a peaky car this year."

“We had very specific corners we didn't like. We were very competitive in low downforce tracks. It meant it was hard for us to put everything together all the time.

“We had tracks like Monza, Canada, Vegas, that suit our car naturally. But then we definitely had bad races”

Alex spoke of how the team eventually over the season developed a far better understanding of the FW45 but even so there was a degree of uncertainty as several races where the team thought they would do badly they didn't. The team was able to slowly develop an understanding of the FW45 over the season. Hopefully this will see the 2024 FW46 deal with these issues far better.

Alex added: “Brazil is a classic example of a tricky track. And then on the very same note, if we then go to Zandvoort, which is a track which we shouldn't on paper be quick at and we were fast.

“This year has been very interesting for us because more than last year, there's been such a huge focus on understanding our car.

“We know for example, from the first half of the year, I don't think we had a dry qualifying weekend in so long, it was wet, dry, wet, dry - in hindsight that suited us more than anything else.

“It meant the tracks were always cold and the tyres overheating was never an issue. We understand that now about our car, it's a big focus on next year, how we can improve the tyre cooling and focus on that aspect of the car.”

Alex also spoke of how he is hopeful that the one big advantage the FW45 had, its straight line speed, will not be lost as the team works on the FW46.

Alex added: “We obviously understand that our car is competitive in a straight line. Can we keep some of that? No, in some ways. It's a huge benefit to have this car that's hard to overtake and quick on certain tracks.

“But then can we be adaptable enough? If we go into next year, can we go to tracks like Brazil or Zandvoort or Monaco and have a car that can also be quick around there?

“I find it quite exciting because we've achieved a good result, a result which we didn't really expect starting this year.

Alex also mentioned how so much of 2023 was spent of preparing for 2024.

“And really this year, the sole purpose of it was to prepare for next year. From winter testing we already were starting to focus on next year. So time will tell obviously, we're not going to get it perfect straight away.

“We've been experimenting this whole year, we've given up a lot of FP1 sessions to focus on set-up ideas and compromises for the next year. So we're putting ourselves in the best position possible.”

But Alex is the first to admit that the push to produce a competitive car at Williams is going to be a long term project. His comments certainly added support to the view that Alex is prepared to see a long term commitment to the team in order to see the team bring their car forward.

“You have to take it two ways as a driver. Every driver has to be, in some ways, short-sighted. Our career spans, our competitiveness and our desires don't always match up to a team's long-term plan.

“But you also understand that completely. We're not going to turn the car over in a year and just be fighting with the Red Bull. There's so much that has to be done.

Alex also supported the view that the teams management in particular Team Principal James Vowles are aware of the fact that the development of the teams car to say reach the level of a Red Bull is very much a long term endeavour.

“It'd be silly for James to say 'Next year I'm going to be able to make a car that that's going to be fighting for wins'. That just doesn't happen.

“So the fact that he's realistic about it gives me confidence. But at the very same time, I feel like I'm driving well. I feel like I'm in a position where I deserve to be fighting podiums and hopefully race wins.”

“Being totally realistic, there's only so much stuff he could improve this year,” he said. “A lot of the car was designed from last year. We have quite a long build time with our cars.

“We're trying to make big steps, not small steps, we're not doing little upgrades every weekend, like you see with the top teams, because we have so much more to achieve.

“James is also with that same approach. So most of who he is employing and how he's structuring the team, next year is going to be the true year where we're going to see what James has brought to the team.

“But there's only so much you can do. And so the biggest steps are going to happen in 2024 and beyond. I’m pretty confident about that.”

As the Williams Racing Team prepares for the 2024 season to have Alex Albon as part of the team is certainly a very highly valued asset. One that hopefully after the 2024 season is completed the team is able to convince him to remain as his contract with Williams ends at the end of the 2024 season. But I do sense a commitment to the team.